Unavoidable
by Bologna121
Summary: Following X3, Rogue and Remy are on diferent paths leading them to the same destinations. A new mission will bring them even closer. UPDATED! Sorry it took so long!
1. Leaving

**A/N: HI EVERYONE!!! So this is kinda sorta a sequel to my story Rain Doesn't. It'll be a series of super short chapters either in Rogue or Logan's POV. Maybe a Bobby or Remy chapter….Enjoy! **

It was completely unavoidable, of course. She was bound to leave eventually. This was simply confirmed by the determination in her eyes as she stood out in the rain.

Her powers were gone, so naturally a mansion filled with mutants wouldn't be the ideal place to fit in. Funny…He thinks that's all she ever wanted. To blend in, to be accepted. Must be tough to be shunned by your "family" for being a mutant, then shunned by your "friends" for _not _being one. Oh, the many standards of this world.

He would know.

So he'd let her go, secretly hoping she'd come back but dreading what the circumstances would be that would _make_ her come back.

Of course…she'd have to stay in bed for a few days and rest. A standing-in-the-rain-like-an-idiot induced cold is an awful thing, isn't it?


	2. Meeting

It was completely unavoidable. Of course she'd get lost at some point. Even with her impressive experience with being alone on the road (although she'd never actually had to _drive_ anywhere during those eight months…she hadn't had a car).

So pulling over in the closest city to get her directions together seemed like the best thing to do. Yeah…if the city hadn't been New Orleans. Her stop for directions quickly turned into a full out tour of the city. She'd heard from those that had been there before about the "magic" the city held. Always something to do, always a spectacle to behold, always a person to meet….

She should have felt guiltier about not leaving right away. After all she had planned on visiting Mississippi to see her family and perhaps even check on David. Would they even want to see her? Would David forgive her? Would they accept her?

Did she want their acceptance? They certainly seemed to hold conditional love when it came to her. Huh. A lot of people did.

Thinking this over as she rounded a corner, she slammed into the person coming from the opposite direction. She was inches away from becoming a tangled heap of limbs and souvenir bags on the concrete when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.

There was a feeling she couldn't place. Something like a shock inside her.

It wasn't at all unpleasant.

Her savior, the same man she'd previously run into, pulled her up easily, facing her with an apologetic smile.

Lord, that smile was sending off another shock. Not to mention his body, his hair, his chiseled face and….

His eyes.

"_désolé, chere." _He smiled again.

"Oh no…it was my fault. I'm never paying attention to where I'm going." She managed to get out in a nervous rush.

Something in his eyes flickered. And then he was gone.

After standing there in shock for several minutes, she adjusted her bags to head back to her car.

Meet charming, sexy, Cajun? Check.

**A/N: Forget what they did in Wolverine (although I LOVED THAT MOVIE!). Remy's eyes are red on black and always will be!!!!! **


	3. After Meeting

Unavoidable? Most definitely. But he certainly wasn't about to complain. The girl was _belle_. An absolute angel with such an innocent face. But a _femme_ like that didn't belong with him in his part of the city. That was the reason he forced himself not to turn around and ask for her name. He had enough morals to know to never drag innocent people (especially women) into dangerous lives.

Not that what he was doing right now was so dangerous. He was just _looking_ for someone who happened to _be _dangerous.

In any case he'd figured it was only a matter of time before he found a woman capable of consuming all his thoughts; A woman so mysterious he wouldn't be able to get her out of his head. Not that he'd want to. She was to be his personal punishment for all the dark crimes he'd committed throughout his life. Sure she was beautiful and innocent, but sorry Remy you can't have her.

You don't deserve her.

Ah well, if the memory of her was to be his punishment then he would endure with enthusiasm. But his next order of business? Finding the Wolverine and reporting to Stormy for a favor.


	4. The Break Up

**It's Halloween night and I've been reduced to sitting here and finishing my college application essays. Does life suck? Yes it does. But those of you sitting at home alone like me…this is for you. ******

He defended himself by saying it was simply unavoidable. Having a girlfriend that couldn't touch was frustrating to say the least, and Kitty was just so…_touchable. _ Cute, smart, funny, understanding—how could any teenage boy with hormones resist?

Rogue was amazing in her own way. More beautiful than simply all-American cute like Kitty, with a warm voice that dripped honey and a smile that could melt any man's heart.

And those eyes.

But it was all looks and no touch. And in the past months of their relationship it was all work and no play.

He was young. He was a _guy. _He wanted more. He _needed _more! It was just unavoidable that they would break up. She was sweet

At least…that was what he was telling himself during his three level 8 back-to-back Danger Room sessions with Logan.


	5. Louisiana Heat

Slick and shining with sweat , Rogue tossed the covers off of her body and onto the floor. Panting heavily, she dropped her head into her hands. It was unavoidable that the nightmares would start up again, but this time there was no Logan around to help her sort through them. She reached across to the hotel night stand to grab her phone. He answered on the first ring.

"Rogue."

She sighed, ready to just laugh the whole thing off. "Oh it's…nothing. It's nothing at all. Just wanted you to know I was alive…and safe. And not with a guy." She laughed at her last words.

He growled slightly and she could practically see him raising his eyebrow. "Who's was it this time, Kid?"

She sighed heavily again. "Yours…but it wasn't as bad as usual. Just the same Stryker dream. I promise."

He was silent on the other side and she was sure he hadn't believed a word she's just spoken, but he moved on. "So…no guys?"

"No, Logan. None at all." She giggled. "Unless you count my little collision today."

He chuckled at her. "Collision? Damn Cure didn't make you any less clumsy, did it?"

"Oh but what a beautiful collision it was. I'm talking 6 foot 3, muscled, male model's physique-"

'growl'

"Gorgeous hair-"

"Rogue-"

"And those _hands!"_

"Marie!"

"Night Logan thanks love you bye!"

Hanging up the phone with a grin, she thought again of the man she had met just that morning. It wasn't just him and his perfect looks that stood out strongly in her memory. It was what she had felt when she touched him. And the tingles that went through her body when he looked at her. She'd never felt that way before, as cliché as it might sound. And she loved every minute of it. Flopping back down against her pillows, she closed her eyes. Savoring the memory of him. She left the sheets on the floor. It was hot enough as it was.


	6. Old Friends

Storm was just as gentle and beautiful as ever, hugging him and inviting him inside when he appeared at the doorstep.

"Remy."

"_Petite" _he grinned, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand and making her laugh softly.

"YOU!" Logan half growled and half shouted in disbelief.

"WOLVERINE!" Remy almost jumped the man in joy, but then realized that if he was anything like what he was 15 years ago, hugging would not go over well. So he settled for a handshake.

"You have no idea how long I've been looking for you."

Logan quirked an eyebrow. "I honestly don't remember where I know you from"

Storm glanced between the two in curiosity. "Yes, Remy. How _do _you know Logan?"

_Dieu_, he really _didn't _remember anything from when he woke up that day on the Island. He sighed, grinning while rolling his eyes. "Guess I'll have to tell the story alone, then."

He was about to begin, when Logan's phone rang. The man took one look at the screen and answered.

"Rogue."

Whoever this rogue person was, he or she had certainly captured Logan's attention. He growled slightly. "Whose was it this time, Kid?"

The conversation went on for a few more moments, ending with whoever was on the other line playfully hanging up, leaving Logan both frustrated and smiling."

It took him a few more seconds to bring him back to where he was, before looking at Remy again and pulling out his cigar. The story was unavoidable, anyway.

"Start from the beginning."


	7. Marie

It was unavoidable, really. New Orleans was too fascinating, too historical, too musical and too beautifully enchanted to just visit for a day or two. So she stayed for four months.

She rented a nice apartment in the city, just above a small but very busy café that served some of the best beignets she'd ever tasted. She window shopped and went sightseeing in the first few afternoons, and then after a week started working nights at the little café.

It really wasn't all that different than living at the mansion. There were so many different people, characters, personalities. Everyone she waited on looked as if they had their own little secret to share. She found herself sitting down with several of the customers on more than one occasion. She heard them talk of their troubles, she heard the latest family scandals, and some of the younger men even serenaded her with a couple of old southern tunes.

She had gotten quite the reputation around that area. She'd never really thought much about it herself, but the men constantly told her how pretty she was with flirtatious grins while the women talked about her strange beauty amongst themselves. She had the quickest reflexes out of all of the staff, a tribute to her training with Logan and the X-Men, and could catch dropped plates and cups thrown my toddlers with an admirable swiftness. She never seriously dated any of the men that constantly flirted. Only a few sporadic dates here and there.

"What's your name, anyway?" asked Liza, another waitress while she raised an eyebrow. "Rogue isn't it, is it?"

Marie thought about it for a minute.

The name she gave them all was Marie.

She let them kiss her, stroke her hair, hold her hand. She let them give her their coats if the air ever got chilly. She allowed them to whisper to her during the movies they might catch, and let them put their arms around her when they sat at dinner.

But that was all.

She never went home with any of them, and never invited them into hers.

She couldn't help but feel as if all the men she went on dates with were only after her physical beauty, seeing as how they knew nothing about her life before New Orleans. Several just assumed that she'd lived there all of her life, never bothering to ask for confirmation. It really didn't matter that much, but she never allowed herself to see any of the men more than once. No need getting attached to anyone who didn't know what she'd seen and done in her life.


	8. Staying

**I feel super bad for not acknowledging any of my reviewers. So here we go. THANKS SO MUCH to… Chamberlinofmusic, courtneykutie, MarvelsWonder, JohnPaulGeorgeandRingo, Alia Ziaen, and TENaseein'. You guys are awesome and thanks for the nice reviews! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Cassie**

It really could have been avoided…if he'd actually tried. Stormy's smile and shining eyes could have been deflected if he's just looked away for a second. He'd always been a sucker for pretty faces. And Logan's threat to kill him if he didn't stay wasn't really genuine. He could have just walked away.

But then the cute little girl was walking by him in the kitchen and slipped, scraping her knee on the floor.

If pretty faces were his downfall, tears from any female were his absolute undoing.

He found himself kneeling on the floor in front of her, checking her knee. "_Non, petite. _No tears, _hein?" _The little girl, probably around 4, looked up at him with tearful eyes and a pout that could have had him running all over the world to fix.

Logan watched from the counter, very much amused.

"C'mon, _petite_. Remy will fix it." Picking her up and placing her on the opposite counter, he grabbed a cloth from under the sink and wet it.

There wasn't any blood, but he could see a scrape, so he gently passed the cloth around the area until she would be satisfied. He'd learned years ago that women didn't want protection and pity, they just wanted attention.

"Better, princess?" He gave her a smile.

"Yes, sir. Thank you mister." She glanced nervously at Logan. "I fell." She stated, as if feeling the need to inform the man of everything he might have missed when not in the room.

"Oh, I saw darlin'. You alright?" Logan answered back with a tiny hint of a smile. Seems as if this girl found her way into everyone's heart.

The girl nodded, and turned her attention back to Remy. "Are you going to stay?" She asked with expectant eyes.

Oh _Dieu._ She had pigtails. And cute blue eyes. And a little button nose. Remy groaned at himself in disgust. _Oh how the might have fallen_.

"Er-_merde_- _oui, _I am. "

He'd never seen Logan smile so big.

He'd never been around so many kids in his life. There was never any reason for him to be, really. He'd been the youngest member of the Thieves Guild for as long as he could remember, and by the time Emil and Lapin came along, he never stuck around long enough to be stuck with babysitting duty.

So when he found himself teaching auto-shop and French, he was very much at a loss.

"Stormy! What's Remy supposed ta do wit' dem for an hour?"

She had just laughed while continuing to water her plants. "You're supposed to teach them, Remy. And it shouldn't be hard. They'll like you, I'm sure of it. So all you have to do is make sure they listen."

Once he's relaxed about the whole idea, he found it wasn't so bad after all. The kids _did _like him (the girls maybe a little too much. He found quite a large amount of them transferring into his auto-shop period, hilarious because originally there had only been 4 girls in there.) And the boys seemed to idolize him. After class they would ask extra questions, sometimes pertaining to the lesson earlier but more times than not asking personal questions that he had no trouble answering.

"No, I am not nor have I ever been involved in Stormy. She just wishes."

"_Oui, _I've been married. And all I can say is wait 'till your thirty, _non?" _

"_Non, _I've never met the Queen. But me and some o' her, er, finer luxury items became very close acquaintances.

He got a room of his own in the teacher's wing, complete with a private bath and the chance to furnish it however he desired. Silken red sheets, a flat screen television, and paintings of New Orleans were the first to be added.

The little girl, whose name turned out to be Cassandra ("Cassie for short" she'd told him boldly in the hallway one day) made every effort to see him at least once a day, whether to just say hi or give him her latest crayon masterpiece.

About three weeks in, Storm had devised another plan to get him fully immersed in Mutant High. She wanted him to join the X-Men.

He chuckled at her and ruffled her hair. "I don't think so. Remy don' really do spandex."

"But they're leather" Kitty, who he had met earlier that week, stated as she came in the room in her unique way. "And I'm sure you'd look fabulous in one. The other guys do." She'd winked at the tall, muscled boy with the Russian accent, making him blush. Remy made a mental note to talk to him about that later.

Somehow he found himself in the men's locker room, putting on his uniform. And the girl had been right; he did look good in it. But then, what else was knew.

"Ready for your first session?" the blonde haired All American boy asked him from across the room.

"I guess. Shouldn't be that hard, _non_?"

The boy scoffed. "Sure. You keep thinking that. But hey," he began exiting the room with a cheeky smile, "I'll go easy on you."

Remy grimaced. He wasn't sure how he and this Bobby character were going to get along, but he was sure they were going to have many more disagreements along the way.

**Please Review! I'm exited to keep writing this story! And anyone wanna teach me some more useful French words? I would love to expand my vocabulary! **


	9. News

**Thank you guys so much for the nice reviews!!! They make me feel really special. There's something I do need to address, though. I had never intended any of these chapters to be lengthy. In fact, what I was going for originally was actually quite short. So…umm…yeah. There's not really a set length for any of these. And honestly my attention span is so bad that a lot of them might end up being short. But that'll just mean more chapters! Yay! Enjoy. And Happy New Year's Eve. **

Liza almost dropped the plate she was handing Marie. "Lord Almighty! Will you look at that!" She pointed blue eyes wide, to the screen above the bar. "Well, ain't that just a mess o' chaos…"she trailed off.

Marie, finishing serving the coffee to Mr. Elkins, turned to the television simply to appease Liza.

She was caught between horror, sadness, and pride.

Horror for what the mutants were doing and shouting as they crowded around the newly restored Worthington Labs. Sadness for what that meant for them, for _her. _And pride in the fact that no one seemed able to stop them, and no one seemed to want to.

"Damn", Liza breathed in wonder. "And I had a distant cousin that took it, apparently. A shame really. Poor muties. Guess they'll really never get the chance to be normal. But, ha! Poor Worthington, wherever he is, anyway. Alrighty Marie, nothing that concerns us, let's-Marie?"

Broken coffee pot on the ground and spilled hot coffee everywhere, there was no sign of Marie.

She sped up to her apartment building, heart racing and head pounding. Her time couldn't be up yet.

Thinking of nothing else, she grabbed all of her items, stuffing them into the luggage she had brought haphazardly. She whipped off her shirt and apron from the café, and tore off her black pants, stuffing them in her bags as well.

Tears she had fought so adamantly began to pool in her eyes as she pulled on her favorite dark jeans and silver shirt. And they finally started to fall as she pulled on her hooded green cloak and gloves.

She'd been a fool to think she'd never have use for them again.

When she finally reached the door, she pulled out her phone from her jeans pocket and began dialing the familiar number-only to stop cold.

She would leave, yes. And she would go back to the mansion for Hank to monitor whatever was going on pertaining to the Cure in her body. But she would go unannounced, giving them no time to craft their faces and attitudes toward her. She wanted no masks of pity and no fake offers of friendship. Her time at the mansion would be just like her visit to New Orleans; Marie would be nothing but a fleeting memory.

Phone safely deposited back into her pocket, she grabbed her leather jacket, a gift from Logan, and left.

They'd all been sitting in the game room when the news came one. Kitty had been sitting next to Piotr, happily retelling her shopping adventure with Jubilee while the Russian man stared at her with unhidden adoration. Bobby scowled at the pair, unhappy that'd he'd lost Kitty's attention but more unhappy with the fact that _they_ were so happy. Really, he was just sore about the fact that Gambit had beaten him in the Danger Room just an hour before…and everyday since he's been there. Logan stood in a corner of the room, simply surveying and "playing chaperone" while Storm took care of some financial business in her office. Hank played good naturedly with several little boys as they mock wrestled. Warren was intently focused on the television program ("My father never let me watch a lot of it when I was young" he'd admitted sheepishly) and Remy sat beside him, Cassie perched happily and importantly on his lap, while he dozed.

At commercial break, the first image that appeared on screen was one of complete pandemonium. Instantly understanding the situation, everyone fell silent and grim. Logan pushed away from the wall, tense.

The reporter had said that only a few mutants' powers had returned in full. The more average case was that small but visible signs of their mutations had retuned slowly and in increasing amounts. Depending on how powerful the mutant was, complete restoration of their mutation would occur within 2 to 12 weeks. Warren Worthington Sr. had nothing to say on the matter.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Of course, everyone had lost interest in the "reality" show by that point.

Warren, refusing to look anyone in the eye, stood abruptly and made to leave the room. Jubilee stared after him sadly.

Logan roughly grabbed the winged mutants arm before he could exit the room. "None of this is your fault. You know that." He growled. Angel merely nodded and left.

Remy, who had snapped awake the minute the news came on, glanced back at the Wolverine, only to see a black glare. Gently removing an unusually silent Cassie from his lap, he stood and walked to Logan.

"Something I'm missin' here, _homme_?"

Logan merely grunted, then motioned for the Cajun to follow him outside.

Lighting a cigar, while Remy pulled out a pack of cigarettes, Logan glanced down the road that led to Xavier's School. "We had a few leave here to take the Cure." He began.

Remy scoffed and then took a deep drag from his cigarette. "T' be expected, I woulda thought. It's a house full o' mutants. But how many?"

"About 8. No where near as many as it coulda been. Two little girls and one boy were taken by their parents. Four were teenagers-left by themselves. But the first to leave was a team member."

Surprised, but letting nothing show, Remy nodded. "Odd decision."

"Not really, if you think about. But I guess you'd have to know her, first." Uncharacteristically somber, Logan gave a half hearted sigh. "You'd really have to know her." With a clap to the Cajun's shoulder, Logan left.

**Reviews are really great!!! And I promise next chapter…THEY MEET! **** Peace. **


	10. Unavoidable

**I realized I should hurry and put another chapter out before I go back to school tomorrow. School often keeps me away from writing for a while. So here's the next chapter and I'll try really hard to update another soon. I know where I wanna go with this now! **

**Thanks so much to ChamberlinofMusic, Anne amazon queen, Canadian Chica, Laceylou76, courtneykutie, Irual, Weebird, luvmecuzimme, and Chefz for the reviews! **

**Disclaimer: You know, if I owned X-men I definitely would not be going to school tomorrow.**

He jolted awake, tensed and in a defense position, sharp red on black eyes scanning the room and penetrating the darkness with professional ease. The screams that he had heard had been so real, so painful, and the dying gasps had been unbearable. _Dieu, _the past could just never stay the past, could it? Satisfied that no one in this current reality was in danger and that nothing-and no one- was in the room with him, he sighed heavily and slumped back against his pillow.

He'd been very thankful to Stormy when she'd told him he'd get to have-and keep- his own room. For a while the space issue at the Mansion had threatened to see him roomed with another team mate. Piotr wouldn't have been so bad. Angel would have been quite tolerable. Bobby would have been…unfortunate and quite annoying.

Rooming with Logan would have just made him leave. Or at the very least contemplate homicide.

His current quarters were, of course, nothing like the Thieves Guild house, more of a mansion than a 'humble abode' as Jean Luc so often called it. Elaborate and expensive looking, the place he'd called home since age 7 had held the finest of everything-some actually purchased, some…'borrowed'.

And nothing would ever compare to his old apartment just outside of the city that he'd bought for himself when he left the Guild. But at least this room was spacious and completely open for redecorating. All of his additions had fit in quite nicely.

Realizing the chances of him getting any more sleep were slim to none, he tossed off the sheets he'd tangled himself in and rolled out of bed with a tired groan, reaching down to pull on the pants that he'd taken off the night before. No need to shock any late night wanders, though he was sure that Jones- the kid with blinking insomnia- had seen just about everything if he watched television that late every night. Not bothering to put on a shirt- anyone that wanted a peak would get the full opportunity now, he thought grinning- he left his room.

And outside the doorway was Cassie.

Rolling his eyes halfheartedly, he looked down at her. "To what do I owe this late night visit, _petite?_ Bad dream?_" _

She shook her head, sending pigtails flying. "Couldn't sleep, and my mommy's room is down the hallway so I was going to go sleep in her bed." She explained brightly. "But then I heard you moving in your room so I waited for you to come out so I could say goodnight again."

He was impressed that she'd been able to hear hi. All of his movements, by training and habit, were soft and unnoticeable. That, and the staff walls were sound proof- a feature that would hopefully come in handy very soon. He grinned, and then glanced down the hall to where he knew Cassie's mom, the current English teacher at the Institute, was staying. "Think she'd mind you joining me in the kitchen for late night snack?"

Cassie smiled widely. "Nope, not at all! But we have to be quite so Mr. Logan doesn't catch us." She stage whispered excitedly.

Remy knew "" wasn't in the mansion at all. A thieves eye caught the locked door- a precaution so that no one could snoop through his stuff- and the lack of footprints outside his door, meaning no one had been in there-or out of there- for a while. And he knew personally that Logan had gone on a private mission at Storm's request two days ago. But let the kids think the big bad Wolverine was still around to keep 'em in line.

Once they had reached the kitchen Remy seated Cassie on the counter and rummaged through the freezer. "Ice cream for you…"She accepted the container with an excited squeal and pulled out a spoon from the drawer beneath her feet. "And for me…"

A normal, untrained ear wouldn't have caught it.

The sound was soft, hesitant, and completely drowned out by the heavy rain pour outside. There was too much human in that knock for it to have been a tree branch or a windblown rock. Now there was only the matter of identifying the knocker's motives. Friend or foe? Little Mutant Lost or mutant hater?

Whipping around to face Cassie he told her to stay where she was and not to move.

Gambit walked slowly to the door and stopped once he could hear movement on the other side. Little Mutant Lost it was, then. They hadn't attempted to knock since the first time, and the rustling outside sounded distinctly like a duffel bag. So he opened the door, startling the hooded and cloaked figure standing in the rain outside into looking up.

The poker face he quickly pulled on was an absolute necessity.

What were the chances that he'd see _her_ again. His _belle ange de la peine_ that he'd seen touring his city a couple of months ago. Remy never forgot a face, especially one as _belle_ as this one. But seeing her now, drenched with rain, face resolutely set in defiance, chin raised and eyes perfectly aware of her surroundings…it affected him so much more than their previous run in. There, she'd just been a smiling girl impressed with the city around her. Now, she seemed confident, if not a little contemptuous for the building she was preparing to enter. It was extremely alluring, if he allowed himself the thought.

And so was she. Her hood was slipping down her hair, revealing dark, chocolate brown locks with unique white stripes framing her soft face. Big, round brown eyes with thick lashes framing them, creating a mystery, hinting at a secret, inviting. Her perfectly shaped pink lips, curved slightly in an ever present half smile, seemed practically irresistible.

She was the kind of girl that could easily pass unnoticed in a crowd, blending in quite nicely and ordinarily. But the details, the closer look, made her extraordinarily beautiful.

All he needed was a name and for her to take off that cloak.

He stepped aside, giving her entry into the hallway. She glanced around, soft eyes resting on everything from the pictures on the wall to the game room a couple of doors down, unaware of his own eyes on her.

"Place hasn't changed much." Was the first thing she had said, her voice soft but raspy, as if she hadn't used it in a while. "Funny, don't know why I expected a perceptible difference."

He caught it. The southern accent. Mississippi, though she hadn't been there for a while. _Dieu_, his other weakness.

She turned back to face him, not realizing her was still right behind her. She seemed momentarily uncomfortable by the close proximity, but seemed to shrug it off, staring up at him. Somehow he knew her question before she asked it. He was almost positive that this was the girl Logan had been talking about. He'd never gotten a name or any helpful description. But her familiarity with the place was a big enough clue if his instincts weren't.

"Logan's no' here, _chere_. Secret mission on behalf o' Stormy."

Rogue, for her part, was fighting the tiny shocks shooting through her system. She was instantly fascinated by his voice, intoxicated by his proximity, captured by his unique eyes and stunned by how he seemed to ooze sensuality into his every movement. But she would never allow him to see that.

She didn't mind, however, showing her disapproval for Logan being gone. "Dang it all, Storm" she muttered to herself. The man across from her chuckled in amusement. Holding out his hand he introduced himself. "Remy LeBeau, _petite_. Old friend o' Stormy's. And Logan's too, really. He just doesn't remember."

Rogue nodded in understanding, shaking the warm hand offered to her. "Rogue. I used to go here but I…left a couple of months ago."

Remy grinned to himself. Of course he'd been right. He opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by someone standing behind him. Turning around with a good natured smile he looked down at Cassie. "Thought I tol' you t' stay put, Cass" he mock chastised.

"I wanted to see Miss Rogue" she explained shyly, stepping from behind him to hug the aforementioned.

"Well you, little missy, need to go on to bed, although I expect Mr. LeBeau here doesn't you're your tolerance for late night sugar yet." Rogue glanced sharply but teasingly at Remy "Have fun putting her to bed." With that and an alluring smirk she headed upstairs, Remy's eyes glowingly trailing after her. She walked the path that led to her old room, assuming with all confidence that Logan had argued Storm into keeping it vacant until she inevitably returned.

Passing by familiar doors in the X and Staff wing, she felt a pang of something she didn't expect to feel upon her return. Bobby's door-was he sleeping or silently playing videos like he sometimes did when he couldn't sleep. Kitty's- was she even in there or had she phased into Bobby's room? She wondered with a small twinge of jealousy how far their relationship had progressed with her departure.

But in all honesty, she admitted to herself as she entered her room (she'd been correct. No one else seemed to have even touched it), she didn't care. She was beyond that, and still set in her decision to stay only as long as needed. No distractions, not even tempting, handsome, and Cajun ones.

Yes, she'd immediately remembered the face…and the body, she'd though with a blush. Despite the briefness of the encounter, she could never forget the warmth of the arms and the eyes. Strange coincidence, her being in his city and him being in hers, only for them to meet up both times. Crashing heavily and still fully clothed onto her bed, she sighed. Maybe she could extend her stay just a bit. Long enough to get the shocks she felt at his presence out of her system. Or long enough to get to know the mystery behind his eyes.

It was all unavoidable, really. She was going to end up staying again.

_**belle ange de la peine**_**- Beautiful angel of punishment**

**Review, por favor!!!! I've never written a chapter that long before (sad, really, because it wasn't even that long!) **


	11. Return

**I know I'm a failure. I was actually going to keep going with this but I had to stop or else it would have taken me another week to post a chapter. Sorry about this wait, anyway. Who would have thought second semester senior year would be this hard?**

It would be quite embarrassing on the part of both participants to say that a pajama-clad Rogue, with an extremely feminine squeal, barreled down the stairs to Logan and tackled him with her slender arms and legs. And that Logan gladly picked her up by her waist and swung her around a few times. And that he actually laughed in joy. And that she almost started crying she was laughing and smiling so hard. And that they spent the better part of that early Saturday morning together talking and catching up on everything they hadn't gotten to share over the last few months.

So for their sakes (and their own safety) everyone that was up just chose to believe Rogue had walked down the stairs fully dressed and accidentally bumped into Logan in the kitchen, where they exchanged brief high fives and sat at the table drinking coffee. Black for the Wolverine and sugar saturated for the southern belle.

But no one could ignore the huge grin on Logan's face as he listened to Rogue's stories of New Orleans.

"Oh and there was just the best live music I've ever heard! Bill took me-"

A raised eyebrow and then a low growl. "Bill? Who the hell is Bill, kid? That's the fifth name I've heard since you started!"

"Well sugah I can't help It if I was…popular..." she winked suggestively. He'd never seen her so playful, so talkative, so happy.

She was avoiding the greater issue at hand.

And he would let her, if that was what she wanted. He'd always told her that running wasn't always the solution. They'd made it their own personal game to keep the other from fleeing from their problems, challenging them to stay and work it out. She wasn't running—she had come back. It was her choice if she wanted to vocalize the situation or not.

He was about to give back a sarcastic retort when he stopped, sniffing the air once and grimacing.

Concerned, she widened her brown eyes at him, only to receive a sharp shake of the head. "I got a class to teach in a few minutes" he said casually, standing up out of his chair and putting his mug in the sink. She was very happy to see his fashion sense hadn't changed since she'd left him in the clutches of Kitty and Jubilee. Lumberjack shirt, tight jeans and belt buckle were all securely in their proper place. He walked over to her, dropping his head to give her a swift kiss on her forehead, an extremely rare public display of emotion for him. "Missed you, Marie." And with that he swaggered out of the kitchen.

Confused at his sudden exit but still smiling Rogue stood up to empty her own mug at the sink, only to slow her actions when she felt eyes boring on her back. She could feel the intensity of the gaze, and it gave her chills. A not all together unpleasant feeling if she allowed herself the though. And she certainly did.

"Mornin',_chere_" came an amused, deep and rich voice that she knew for a fact accompanied the intense eyes behind her. She could hear the smile in his words, feel how relaxed he was with his surroundings. Just how long had he actually been at the Mansion? And more importantly, how long did he plan on sticking around?

Rather than avoiding him until she left the kitchen she gave in to her curiosity, turning around to face the man she'd seen a grand total of two times.

Remy LeBeau was quite aware of how good looking he was. His _pere _had always joked about his many female admirers when he was a teenager, and his brother could only shake his head in admiration at how easily he got his way with women with just a glance. Dark auburn hair that fell into his eyes and a perfectly chiseled face (and a million dollar smile) were just a few of his many…assets. The rest could only be seen upon request. Or needy begging. And the latter happened quite often in the places he went.

So it came as quite a surprise to him when he only got the slightest wave of interest coming off of Rogue. She was either very good at disguising her emotions or wasn't attracted to him at all.

He immediately put on his most alluring smile. He wanted-- needed to know more about this girl. After he'd put a slightly hyper Cassie to bed the night before he hadn't been able to sleep himself, unable to get the image of the rogue out of his brain. The soft and full look of her hair. That body with all of its feminine curves. But more importantly those eyes and all they seemed to hold. He needed to know her story. It was almost pathetic at how quickly this girl had consumed him and his attention. But he'd never let her know that.

Cocky grin in place, he looked her up and down. "Sleep well?"

Rogue, slightly disconcerted by his heated glances, could only muster up a slight scowl. "Why yes, I was _very _ comfortable in my own room. The room I've been livin' in for three years, now." It really irked her how he seemed to feel as if he owned the place. Heck, she'd been here _way_ before him. _He _was the newbie. But she had to admit, his confidence was highly attractive.

He chuckled, the sound doing interesting things to her insides, and she had to turn away back to the sink before he caught her staring at his shirtless chest.

"Don't you have a class to teach, Mr. LeBeau?" She threw over her shoulder. "And the remaining portion of your outfit to put on?"

"Ah, _chere_," he sighed dramatically. "Y' woun' me. It's Remy. Mr. LeBeau's my grandfather."

She couldn't help but let out a small laugh and turn back again to face him. It was strange how easily he fell into comfortable conversations with him. Dangerous. "Don't you mean your father?"

"_Non, Cherie, mon pere._ I do believe he'd throw a righteous fit if anyone called him other than his first name. Insists he's no' getting old." He grinned.

Smiling back at him, Rogue became completely unaware to the rest of her surroundings. His red on black eyes glowed, a more vibrant shade than what she'd seen previously. She found herself almost entranced. Was that an effect of his mutation? _Was _it his mutation? She opened her mouth to just outright ask him when suddenly she heard a shocked gasp from the doorway.

She really shouldn't have been surprised at all to see Bobby and Kitty together. She'd expected that much. But what did surprise her was that they didn't seem _together_. She would have bet millions that the minute she left they had gotten together, but perhaps she was wrong. Individually, however, they looked exactly the same as when she left. Kitty with her layered brown hair and wide brown eyes, jeans and a fitted tee-- Bobby with his cute blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Neither of them seemed to know what to say, and Rogue couldn't blame them. She too was at a loss. What do you say to the girl that crushed your self confidence and esteem months ago? Or the boy you gave your heart to only to have it break like cracked ice once his eyes began to wander?

Remy sensed the tension in the room and grew instantly curious. 'So' he thought to himself with an inside smile 'wonder what the story with Rogue and the Iceboy is?'

"Morning _Chaton, _Iceman"

Kitty gave a startled smile, as if not noticing Remy at first, and then blushed slightly. "Morning, Gambit. Ready for that meeting today? "

"Marie?"

They all looked quickly at Bobby, who had just spoken for the first time since entering the room. It was a tentative question, almost as if he was afraid that the girl who stood in front of him wasn't real…or _was_ real and possibly out for blood. He knew all too well that he'd had almost everything to do with Rogue's leaving. And, by the carefully crafted mask of indifference on Rogue's face, he wasn't forgiven just yet.

"It's Rogue again," was all she said. He winced slightly.

"Sorry, about that…Rogue. But, erm, how have you been?" he asked hopefully.

Not much in the mood for pointless small talk, Rogue didn't bother giving a detailed answer. "Peachy keen, sugah. Just dandy. Now…" she she trailed off, looking at Kitty. "Where's Storm?"

Encouraged by the fact that Rogue did not seem particularly unhappy with her, Kitty jumped at the chance to answer. "Upstairs in the Professor's old office. She'll be really happy to see you!" she smiled brightly. "She's usually really busy in the mornings but…" she threw an uncertain glance at Bobby and Remy, "She called for a team meeting at 2. You should just come."

Rogue considered it briefly. Confronting _all_ of her old teammates was not exactly the first the she had in mind when she came back, but she'd have to see them all eventually. "Sure thing, Kitty. I'll be there."

Kitty grinned again. "Great!" She reached beside her and grabbed Bobby by his sweatshirt sleeve, dragging him out of the kitchen. "Bobby and I each have a class to teach, so we'll see you at lunch, ok? Jubes will be super excited to see you. In fact, I'm sure you'll hear her when she finds out you're back." A quick but friendly wave over her shoulder and she was gone, Bobby in tow.

Remy watched Rogue carefully as her eyes followed Kitty and Bobby out of the door. "Y' know," he began, startling Rogue into turning back around to face him. "I can't tell if you're happy to be back or not. Yo' givin' mixed signals, girl." He grinned.

Distracted momentarily by how handsome that smile made him look, it took her a second to answer. "I am. Really."

Grin still in place, he chuckled. "Coulda fooled me, _chere." _

"Hey. Stop calling me that."

**Next chapter…Team meeting and I PROMISE cute Romy moments!!!**** I know they don't seem very close right now but they're going to be! This is going somewhere, just trust me. **


	12. Normalcy

**This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written in my life. Would it be sad to ask for reviews? **** Haha enjoy!**

**Thanks to ChamberlinofMusic (that was potentially the nicest review I've ever gotten. Thank you!) and Canadian Chica, Hawaiichick, ButterflyBroken, Alicia Jo, Scott has a pole up his ass (Can I just thank you for having the greatest name ever!) , Le26199, courtneykutie, Laceylou76, and Gabrielsdoubt. You guys are awesome!!!! **

**Disclaimer: I found 2 dollars yesterday. And I'm still broke. I own nothing X-Men related. **

As they sparred viciously and ruthlessly in the Danger Room, Remy thought there was something to be said for befriending Logan as opposed to the Wolverine. With Wolverine, all you got was sarcasm, growling, and crushing blows to various parts of your body if you started off on the wrong foot. Logan, however, was definitely just as mean…he just held it all in a little more. Anyone who had known the man right after his Adamantium transformation would be astounded by how much more calm and reigned in the man seemed since he's been at Xavier's. It was almost frightening how nurturing and concerned he was for the kids under his initial gruff exterior. Especially for some of his favorite students. Or, rather, his _favorite _student.

Remy LeBeau was a man for details. He never missed a thing. Even before entering the kitchen he could hear the excitement and feel the warmth coming from the morning encounter between Logan and Rogue. The gruff Canadian had been more than ecstatic to see his… well what exactly were they to each other anyway?

Logan attempted to twist Remy's arm behind him and sent a crushing blow to ribs, which probably would have weakened another man but only made Remy more energetic in his retaliation. This man didn't play clean, that was for sure. He certainly never forgot that fact from over 15 years of no contact. A well placed kick to Logan's knee had them both sprawled on the ground, limbs painfully entangled.

"Well, this is new." Logan mumbled, face on the mat.

"Don' get excited, _mon ami." _ Remy snickered. "I don't usually prefer bein' sweaty an' tangled up wit' men on the ground. My 20th birthday no' included" He added as an afterthought.

"Good God." Logan rolled his eyes and scooted away from the Cajun.

Remy laughed again and sat up as well. "Only kidding, _homme."_

"No, not that. Forgot we have that meeting today…" Logan trailed off slightly, looking faintly upset about something.

"_Oui_, 2 o'clock. Which means I'll roll in around 2:15, just to make Stormy mad. She's so cute when she's angry, _non?_"

"If you're saying that then you haven't ever seen her really angry." Logan smirked, then sighed. "We're talking about the Cure. And I'd bet anything Marie's gonna be there."

"De pretty _fille_ wit' the stripes?" Remy asked, partially playing dumb even though he'd heard the girl referred to as 'Marie' several times since she'd arrived. No need to get Logan suspicious of how intensely curious he was about her. He had no idea of what her relationship was with the man and he'd rather not find out with claws through his chest.

"Yeah" Logan glanced at him. "Rogue now, I guess. Just don't want her getting upset in the meeting. Her temper's not all that tame, either. And she and Bobby ended on such a bad note that I _know_ she's gonna lose it at even the slightest disparaging comment."

"But Stormy wouldn't let 'em say anything negative about her, righ'? Besides, no use in sayin' anything 'bout it since it didn' work."

"Eh. Stormy-damn it, look what you've done- _Storm_ wasn't exactly the biggest fan of the Cure either." Logan then stood up offering his hand to Remy, who took it with a muttered thanks.

"Didn' any o' ya'll try to stop her from getting' it?" Remy asked slowly.

Logan scoffed."As if she'd listen to anyone. Probably my fault she's gotten so stubborn, really" he mused. "No…I was the only one who knew she was leaving. Figured if she wanted it bad enough I wasn't going to stop her. She's a smart, headstrong girl. A little too insecure at times but she's strong enough to handle anything."

Remy was momentarily stunned by the sincerity ringing in Logan's words, prompting him to finally ask the question that had been bugging him.

"So where'd you meet this girl, anyway? You too seem close" He started casually.

"Would it be cliché to say I picked her up in a bar?" Logan laughed to himself, as if a fond memory had come to mind.

Remy grinned easily. "It would if you two were…"

Logan's face went from amusement to surprise to semi-disgust in less than a second. "Absolutely not. She's…well she's just a really good friend."

"A really good, really attractive _friend_. Sure, I've got plenty of those."

"No, Gumbo. Just a good friend. In fact, if you want to take it that far I could say she's like a daughter to me." Logan frowned. "But even if she wasn't, hands and eyes off, Cajun."

"Sir, yes sir." Muttered Remy with a scowl. "You do realize how old I am, don't you? I hope you think better o' me than that." He was only half joking, really.

"I don't. I'm going to go clean up and get ready. You comin'?"

Gambit shook his head, sending his auburn hair flying across his face. "_Non_, I'll stay here a little longer. Actually get a real workout." He grinned cheekily.

"Ha ha ha. Very funny. You won't be able to walk tomorrow, trust me"

"Oooh, sounds like someone's experienced in dealing with the aftermath of playing rough."

"You're sick" Logan rolled his eyes. "Have fun playing with yourself."

"I will, _merci_."

Rogue stood unsurely outside of the MedLab, wondering if she should even bother to approach. What was Hank even going to tell her that she didn't already know? "I'm sorry, my dear, but you're powers will return in 2 weeks. So just don't touch anyone."

Great. Just what she wanted to hear. But might as well go for it. Knocking quickly once, she waited to see if Dr. McCoy was available. After a few seconds he came out, polite smile in place and only expanding the minute he saw who she was.

"Rogue, my dear! How great to see you again!" He chuckled heartily and sincerely. "My, does Logan know you're here?"

Rogue relaxed immediately, warmed by his friendliness and normalcy. "Well of course. First person I saw this morning!"

"Naturally," Hank grinned good naturedly. "So is there anything I can do for you?"

And here it was. Rogue sighed heavily, looking away from Hank's kind eyes to scan the medical wing that she'd been in several times before when Logan hadn't been around. "Um, yeah I guess. I just…"

"It's alright, Rogue." Hank assured her softly. "I can guarantee you that the check up will be brief and completely confidential."

She sighed in relief again, comforted by his willingness to participate in her desire to keep all of this as low key as possible. "Thank you so much," she spoke, shutting the door behind her as she stepped fully inside the spacious lab. "I just want to get a close estimate to when they'll come back."

He nodded in understanding. "Of course, my friend. I've been studying this Cure for quite some time now," he began gathering a few items and gesturing for her to sit on one of the examination tables, "and I believe I can give you a very close if not fully accurate time span."

She sat silently and patiently as he medically cleaned a spot on her inside arm, wincing only slightly when he put the needle in. She stopped focusing on what he was doing after that.

After a short while she felt him stop moving, walking over toward his computer and entering a few motes and calculations. He came back to her with a bright smile.

"Well, Rogue, although I'm sure this wasn't your ideal situation I believe I can bring you better news than originally expected."

Eyes widening, she motioned for him to continue.

"it seems that time rate for returning mutations vary according to the mutant to whom they belong. In the case of a young child whose powers had just manifested themselves, or a Class 1 mutant, the powers would return quite quickly. Probably within 2 weeks. The stronger and more complex the powers, the longer they take to come back and develop themselves."

"And mine are stronger? What class?" she asked surprised.

Hank frowned slightly in thought. "I'd say right off of the bat at least a class 3. But my theory has always been that they grow over time. And in your case" he gazed at her steadily "the more powers and psyches you absorbed and retained only…fed your mutation. By now you most likely a steady Class 4."

Not sure how to react to this news, but certainly glad she had more time without her mutation, she gave him a huge smile. "Well that most definitely is better news than I expected. Estimate time?"

"I'd say another two months, really. I'd love to do a follow up to give complete confirmation but I'd say that's an educated estimate."

Rogue's smile got even wider. "Thank you so much, Hank. This is great."

He, however, stopped looking so optimistic. "There is one catch."

Of course there was.

"During the span of these two months your mutation _will_ be fighting to return. An internal battle, if you will, that won't be exactly easy on your system."

"Side effects?" she asked, resigned.

"Mild Pain. Headaches, body aches…nothing that wouldn't compare to a DR session with Logan, for you," he smiled knowingly. "However, those will probably only occur in the early stages. As you get closer and closer to the return of your powers, I'm afraid the pain will increase.

Rogue smiled encouragingly. "It's alright. Still better than what I thought I was getting." She swung her legs off of the medical table, pulling her sleeves back down to cover her arms and headed toward the door. "Thank you for everything, Hank. Really."

"You are always welcome, Rogue. But would you mind doing me a favor? Stop by the Danger Room and try to get Gambit to show up to the meeting on time." He grinned fondly. "He's got this devilish desire to see how far he can push Ororo with his frequent tardiness."

"Gambit?" Rogue asked, momentarily confused.

"Oh yes. I'm not sure if you've met him yet. Tall, reddish brown hair, very unique eyes. And very…"

"Cocky?"

"That's the one."

Sigh. "Yeah, I'll get him."

Walking into the huge gym-like room she stood close to the wall, waiting until he wound down to get his attention. She'd never seen a man move so quickly and yet gracefully. It seemed as if he had every movement he did, every swing and every flip, down to an exact art. It was hard to look away. Every muscle that was exposed (quite a few considering his lack of a shirt) looked as if it had a distinct purpose, not just showy and useless. His eyes looked determined and fierce, strong jaw set and dark eyes blazing. Almost the same way he'd looked at her that morning, and it made her shiver.

After he stopped what he was doing he turned away to the bench, breathing heavily but showing no signs of fatigue or over exertion. He could probably go on for a few more hours and still be just fine, she though to herself. Pulling on his shirt and wiping his face with a towel, he seemed to be oblivious of her presence. Until,

"See somethin' y' like, _chere?_"

"And there's that word again. Am I supposed to know what it means?"

Shirt in place and broad smile back, he turned to face her. "Maybe one day. Anything I can do for y'?"

"Please tell me how is it that you can make even the simplest of statements sound so suggestive?"

He laughed, a rich and deep sound that made her want to laugh with him. "Again, maybe one day. So I'm guessin' someone sent y' down here to force me to get to that meeting on time?"

"It's good that you're aware of your flaws. It really is" she smirked jokingly. "Hank sent me. And we should go. It's 2:17 right now."

"Alrigh' then. I'm two minutes late fo' bein' late anyway. Shall we?" He held out his arm for her.

It was so strange how easily she fell into step with him. Despite her raging curiosity concerning him she never thought she'd feel this comfortable. Perhaps it was his easy demeanor, his talent for making anything and any feeling relax and normal. It was…different to be around a man that wasn't projecting so many intense emotions. From Bobby and the constant air of nervous dread to Logan and his extremes, and then to all of the men she'd met in New Orleans who'd simply been dying o get more intimate with her. A man like Remy was exactly what she needed right now. No drama. No extremes.

No romantic feelings.

She wouldn't let herself feel the last one. She'd just have to get a hold of the strange shivers that overwhelmed her every time her turned his unique eyes on her. And she'd _definitely_ have to control the urge to melt at the sound of his low voice. There was no way she'd allow herself to fell anything for him. She'd be gone in two months. She'd never see him again.

By the time they entered the team meeting room she could already tell tensions were getting high.

"But we have to do _something_ about it! We can't just ignore it!" she'd never seen Kitty look so frustrated. "These are Mutants we're talking about. Our kind! And as such it's our responsibility to take action. It's what we're made for. It's what we do!"

Shocked by the fact that Kitty seemed close to tears, Rogue stood unsurely by the door. What was she even doing here, anyway? It's not like she was a part of the team anymore. Stepping back toward the door as if to exit, Rogue ducked her head, determined to be as unnoticed as possible. Too bad Remy wouldn't let her. Hand around her waist and lips enticingly low to her ear, she could feel the warmth radiating off of him. He was much too close.

"Stay, _chere._"

"Why?" She hissed back. "This really doesn't concern me anymore." She couldn't fully keep her regret for that fact out of her voice.

"But doesn't it?" he penetrated her with his eyes.

"The Cure was never anything we as a team stood for. We fought fervently against it. If they want to continue with all of this then I say we let them." Bobby's harsh words made her flinch violently, unintentionally bringing her closer to Remy, whose grip on her waist tightened once he felt her move. Rather than being painful, it was strangely comforting.

"But think of his, Bobby," came Piotr's calm yet powerful voice. "We were neither for nor against it. Certainly some of us had more emotional ties to the matter- a fervent glance to Bobby and Kitty and then to Logan, and finally an encouraging smile to Rogue. "We were simply protecting the non-mutants from Magneto and his followers. Each of us has a different opinion on the matter."

Arm still around her, he guided her gently to on of the vacant chairs around the table, sitting next to her silently.

"But you see what this Cure has done!" Kitty's voice was raised and tense. "It's caused nothing but ridiculously raised hopes and drastic measures to get it. And then we find it's useless and more chaos ensues. People have lost their minds over this! People have _died._ And now they are making this "new and improved Cure". We can't just sit around and do nothing, no matter what our individual opinions are! We have to stop them!"

Storm shook her head vigorously. "You know how against the Cure I am. But we can't change the minds of every person. Even if this new antidote was as dangerous and we believe it is, what can we really do about it?" Bobby nodded in agreement. "We have to learn from our past mistake. People do what they want. And they believe in what they want. Anyone who believes in this awful scam of an idea should be allowed to if they haven't learned from the last time."

"So we're just going to let them potentially allow something that will kill them be injected into their systems? Are we really going to do nothing at all, Storm?" Logan asked doubtfully.

Storm sighed heavily, "I don't know, Logan. Hank? Warren? Anything new on the process?"

Hank nodded, they've announced a tentative release date. It's two months from now."

"Plenty of time to gather more information on it and then take action." Warren said quietly. "As public as they've made the whole situation by announcing it, I know them. They won't ever release what's in it or what the risks could be. Did they ever do anything like that for the first Cure?" he shook his head sadly. "No. And I bet you not even the whole corporation knows. Only the inner circle of professionals. My father included." Even after the events of Alcatraz Warren and his father remained firmly opposed on the ideas of mutations.

'So y' need someone on the inner circle, _non?" _ Remy leaned back in his chair and eyed the rest of the table. "Seems as if Hank and Angel aren't gonna be getting' much more information with a good source, _hein"_

Hank nodded solemnly. "He's right. Only problem that arises now is who shall be our source?"

"Warren?" Piotr offered. "The father-son connection could work wonders in this situation."

"Yeah it should but it hasn't in the last 22 years. Besides, everyone else there knows how it is with me and him. No one in their right mind would believe I would suddenly want to help suppresses the mutant gene." Angel scowled grimly.

"So we would need someone else who wouldn't be such a suspicious candidate for ratting them out, but also someone skilled enough to get all of the information we need in an efficient manner."

"Bobby?" Hank suggested.

Logan gave a short laugh. "He could certainly look the part. And sound like one, too. But Bobby's specialty isn't really stealth." Bobby nodded in confirmation. "Not exactly my area of expertise. Kittyis good for the job. She's quick."

"Yes, but she also looks a little young. We'd have a hard time convincing Worthington that she' has enough experience to handle something like this. What would her cover be?"

"So you want someone quick, efficient, stealthy, not opposed to breaking the law, and extremely gifted in fabricating covers and identities." Storm ticked the list off on her fingers. "Well that's easy. Remy."

Lazy smile spread across his devilishly handsome face. "Well I'm flattered, Stormy."

"I thought you wanted someone who didn't look suspicious. This guy practically screams "I'm shady! Catch me and throw me in jail!"

"Remy is quite talented in blending in with his surroundings. If he didn't already have his profession of choice paved into his future I would suggest he take up acting. Would you do it, my friend?"

"Anyt'ing for y', Stormy."

"Stop calling me that."

"Well there you have it. We've got our man. Think they'll buy it, Angel?" Logan asked gruffly.

"If he's as good as I've heard he is then yes. But he'll need a clever cover. Him just wandering around the city that these men all live in would be a bit suspicious."

The team then began offering ideas for fake identities. A doctor, a lawyer, a homeless man (Bobby), an old friend of the Worthington's. Meanwhile, Remy had turned his full attention to Rogue, who had been sitting silently by him the entire time.

"D'you trust me, _chere?_" he asked in a low voice, lips once again close to her ear.

Turning her head sharply to look at him, she found herself merely inches away from his face. "Not a bit, but what are you up to."

Getting no answer but instead a mischievous grin, Remy cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "I," he began dramatically, "have an idea."

"Lord help us." Bobby threw his hands up with a sigh, only to be jabbed in the ribs by Kitty and then Piotr.

"It's common knowledge amongst those of us who are frequently engaged in wrongdoing" he shot a humored glance to Logan, who raised an eyebrow, "that women, especially exceptionally pretty ones, are hardly ever suspected of wrongdoing."

"Go on," said Storm slowly.

"So, I suggest that the cover I go under be one of a recently married man. It would give me an undeniably logical excuse to be out and about all of the time- with my wife. Us being together all of the time would obviously look more like devoted and early love than partners in crime. And I'd be too busy focusing on the…pleasure…from my new situation in life to possibly be doing anything suspicious." He grinned assuredly.

Warren laughed out loud, impressed and amused. "Excellent idea. Genius!"

Storm rolled her eyes. "Only you. So, I suppose that means Kitty's going after all?"

"No," Logan said steadily, if not grudgingly. "He means Rogue."

Remy smiled and nodded casually, ignoring a sputtering and reddening Rogue at his side.

"I don't like it." Bobby said at once. Kitty scoffed at his side. "Of course you don't"

"I don't like it either, but it makes sense. Kitty would probably look too young for you, while Rogue looks a bit older. And she's trained in being pretty stealthy herself. If not that, then she's damned good at combat."

Finally over her initial shock Rogue burst. "There is no way!" She shouted. "I've been back here all of one day and already I've been thrown into a mission! I . Don't. Have. My. Powers! What use could I possibly be to this mission?"

Remy looked patiently at her. "You fit the image I need to create, _chere_. And-" he pointedly ignored her attempt to cut him off, "I have no doubt that even without your powers you are more than capable of handling anything thrown at you."

It was hard to argue with the way he was looking at her. It seemed that he really did believe that she could handle this mission. But what she didn't understand was why he was trying so hard to make her do it? What was it about her that made him put so much stock in her? They'd known each other for less than a full day!

"Will you do it?" he asked her so that no one else could hear.

Unable to do anything else, Rogue nodded. Maybe this is what she needed. A chance to get away from the Mansion for a while before she was ordered to stay in during the weeks before her mutation's return. And with Remy, this man she'd known for such a short while, she couldn't help but feel secure.

Storm clapped her hands together. "Lovely. Rogue, we'll need to brief you on the new procedures and Remy you get together everything you'll need. You both leave in a week."

**I kept going back and forth over whether this was waaaay to early to have Rogue and Remy thrown together but I needed them paired up and away from the Mansion. They still have a little ways to go from here. Please review! I was so proud of myself for this chapter. I've never written anything this long! **


	13. Lessons in Proximity

**A billion gazillion apologies for how late this update is! Thanks for all of you that have been encouraging and patient! More Rogue and Remy interaction but the NEXT chapter is gonna be loaded with it. **

**This is definitely the last chapter before ROMY embarks on their own **

Rogue had been sprawled no her bed staring and scowling at her ceiling when she heard the tentative knock on her door.

"It's just me, mind if I come in?" She heard Kitty question politely from the other side.

Rollin over and standing upright, Rogue walked slowly to the door, opening it to allow a shy looking Kitty to enter. The two exchanged small smiles that didn't nearly cover everything that had to talk about and stood their simply staring at each other expectantly until Kitty finally spoke up.

"Look I know you just got back and everything, and you probably don't want to revisit the past but-" she trailed off and squinted her eyes on concentration at the floor, "I feel as if I should clarify…you know…what happened with me, you and Bobby."

Rogue gestured to the bed and they both sat down, slightly away from each other but close enough to give the appearance of civility. Kitty took a deep breath and opened her mouth, only to shut it and sigh. She tried again, only to stop herself once more. By the time she gave a third sigh Rogue just laughed out loud.

"Lord, Kitty this doesn't have to be so serious! It's not like we all committed a murder or anything." Rogue raised an eyebrow in her now humored state.

Kitty laughed with her. " I know t doesn't. I'm just being a coward is all. What I was _trying_ to say is that the whole situation, me and Bobby flirting behind your back was-"

"Expected." Rogue said shortly.

"But childish nonetheless. You have to know I've liked him since I first met him when I was 14. But I'd like to think I've grown up a lot since then. I mean, obviously seeing all of that stuff with the war and what not, but before it I was so worried about being alone. You know, before you came Bobby and I were really good friends. And John and Jubilee too. I was always sort of jealous of you, ya know. You were like the shiny new toy no one could keep their eyes off of. John was crazy for you. And Bobby, well no matter what happened he loved you. I know he did." Rogue gave a half smile. "I need you to know that we never took it very far. A couple of dates, a few kisses, but that was all. It never felt right for us to be together, no matter how much I wanted it. So I apologize if you felt you had to leave because of us."

Kitty's last statement was exactly what Rogue needed to hear in order for her to clear the air over the reason she left. "I didn't pack and leave solely because of you two. Sure it was a factor, but that wasn't the reason. I left because I didn't belong. You had to see that!" Rogue's face flushed slightly as she struggled to get her point across. "I was sick of the talk, sick of the fake smiles, sick of the feeling as if I was wanted no where. I _had_ to go. I'm done with staying in places where I'm not wanted, you know?"

Kitty gave her an encouraging smile. "Well, you're certainly wanted now. Everyone's super excited for you to be back."

Rogue scoffed and smirked at Kitty's comment. "Kit, their just excited for the _story_. You know as well as I do how this place thrives off of gossip."

"That may be but no one in that meeting today can deny the fact that there is _definitely _some interest in you on Gambit's behalf." The younger girl gave a mischievous wink. "A marriage proposal after only a day of knowing you? That has to be a record."

"Kitty!"- Rogue groaned, suddenly distressed, flopping back to lie eagle spread on her bed. "What am I gonna do! It's not like the mission itself should be hard. You spy, you steel records, you maintain a squeaky clean image. But all the _married couple_ stuff is gonna be…"

"Hot? Steamy? Sexy?"

"Ridiculous!"

"Oh don't worry so much. He's a nice guy…generally. Ok well 'nice' isn't exactly the best word. That'd be like calling Logan 'sweet'."

"But he is!" Rogue stated in surprise.

"To you maybe" Kitty muttered darkly, glancing at a particularly nasty bruise on her right forearm. "You haven't had training room sessions with him every day since you left. I swear, you leaving put him into a depression, one that could only be cured through violence towards others. No…Remy's more…dark…but a gentleman through and through."

Rogue could only scowl in disbelief. "I can't believe I actually agreed to this."

"Well you did. And you're going to fill me in on everything that happens. He's just too delicious to ignore for long. You'll succumb to him eventually. Oooh!" her eyes brightened mischievously. "You do realize you two will be sharing a bed right? A nice, warm, spacious bed. Plenty of room to- "

"Out, Kitty."

Kitty laughed openly and made for the door. Before leaving, she threw a smile over her shoulder. "I missed you, Rogue. Even if we weren't that great of friends before, I hope we can change that."

Rogue smiled wholeheartedly. "I'd like that. But you still have to get out." With another laugh, Kitty left, leaving Rogue alone with her thoughts once more.

Downstairs Remy sat on the game room floor, playing some girl princess board game with a pouting Cassie. To his absolute horror the girl had cried uncontrollably when he'd told her he would be leaving in a week, and possibly wouldn't be back for a month.

"B-But who's gonna p-p-play with me!" she's wailed pathetically, making him cringe internally in guilt. The fact of the matter was, Cassie was only one of a handful of kids at Xavier's Institute who were too young to actually attend classes, leaving them to either stay with their parents or another adult at the school who would watch them. To add to that, Cassie was the oldest of this group of children, leaving her to tend to her own entertainment quite often. The other adults were always very sweet to her, but Remy was the one she liked best. In fact, she'd told him so quite often. Consoling her with words and ice cream didn't do much, but the Pretty Princess game he's wincingly offered seemed to be going over well.

"Y' done wit' bein' mad a' me, petite?" he asked hopefully, reaching for a necklace and putting it around his neck. Warren, Logan, Hank and Bobby snickered behind him and he threw them a scathing look.

"Nope" Cassie stated matter-of-factly, putting extra emphasis on the 'p'. "But I've decided something." She reached for a 'diamond' ring and slipped it onto her finger.

"_Oui?_ And what's that?"

"That if you really _have_ to go off somewhere and leave me, it's better that it's with Miss Rogue and not some other girl. Like Miss Dazzler." Cassie glanced up from her jewelry as if in thought. "Miss Dazzler is always giving you funny looks when you're not looking. It looks like she wants to eat you."

Warren choked on the drink he's been sipping and began laughing hysterically, falling over on Bobby's lap in his mirth. Bobby, for his part, did not look too amused, most likely from Cassie's comment about Rogue.

Remy's eyebrow's lifted in surprise. "Really? Why's that, _Cherie?" _

Cassie wrinkled her nose. "What's _'sherry' _mean? And I said it because I like Miss Rogue a lot, and I like you too. So I think you too will like each other a lot."

Remy took his turn in the game, acting as if he was greatly focused on it but all the while letting his thoughts drift to his soon to be "wife". He certainly did like the _belle femme_ with the white streak, though it was more of a curious interest than anything else.

"Speaking of Rogue," Hank spoke over a still chuckling Angel. "Have you two worked out everything you're going to bring with you for the trip?"

Remy shook his head, tapping Cassie's hand playfully as she aimed to steal the crown he'd just won. "_Non_, was planning on visiting her after this." He and Cassie began putting up their game, with him throwing the pieces in the box and her sticking her tongue at him while she organized the jewelry.

Bobby stood up abruptly with Remy. "I'll go with you. I need to talk to her anyway." He gazed steadily at Remy, as if daring him to protest. Remy gave his most dangerous smile, the one that also happened to be his most alluring. "I have no problem with it, _homme_. But remember," he began his walk towards the stairs, a confident swagger that had a descending Jubilee staring appreciatively. "She actually has to let you _in_ first before you can talk to her."

He grinned to himself when he heard Logan whistle under his breath and Warren break into another round of hysterics at Bobby's grimacing face.

The two had almost reached Rogue's door when Bobby stopped suddenly. Remy smirked. "Problems?"

"Uh-yeah" the Iceman stuttered nervously. "I just remember that I forgot to-um."

"Chicken." Remy hissed, red on black eyes narrowing with contempt for the man in front of him. "Y' ever going t' talk to her?" After the meeting that afternoon, Warren and Jubilee had briefed him on everything that had happened between Rogue and Bobby, leaving him with more than enough reasons to dislike Bobby even more than he already did.

Bobby sighed, and looked away from Remy. "Of course. Just not now. And especially not with anywhere near." He turned on his heel and walked away, living a still scowling Remy behind. He turned back towards Rogue's door, and knocked three times, swiftly and confidently.

"Come in" he heard the delicate southern voice from the other side of the door, sending a small jolt of something in his system. Oh yes, we would most definitely have to spend more time with this _femme_ , just to see what her charm was. He opened the door and allowed himself in, chuckling when he saw the surprised look on her face as she stood against her closet.

"Oh! I could have sworn Logan was knocking." She glanced somewhat hesitantly from her closet to Remy, and then back to the closet again. Then she sighed reluctantly. "I have no idea what to pack. This may come as a shock to you but I'm nineteen years old and I've never been married or on a honeymoon before." She cocked her hip to the side and placed her hand on it, a gesture that Remy found quite amusing.

"No worries, Rogue. I," he walked over to her closet with a flourish, "happen to be an expert."

Rogue scoffed, subconsciously stepping back from the approaching Remy. "And how many times have you been married?"

"Once. But went on plenty of trips." He seemed to not want to elaborate anymore, and Rogue was fine with that, although her curiosity concerning him was rising once more. "Are you still…" she trailed off, partially embarrassed that she'd actually asked.

He gave her an assuring smile, one that made her want to smile as well. From the few and scattered moments that she'd been near him he'd always effected her in strange ways. Everything about him seemed to be tailored to gain a positive response from her, his eyes glowing warmly and his flawless smile reaching out to her in every way. He was almost hypnotic in his words and mysterious but polite charm. Her momma back in Mississippi would have told her immediately to run, told her that this man could be no good. But the way she figured was that she was only interested in Remy on a psychological level. She wanted to know what his past was, what his current agenda was, and how the heck he knew Logan. And, well, she wasn't on good terms with her mother right now anyway so why adhere to her advise?

"_Non_," he drawled in his richly accented voice. That ended a long time ago. Let's see," he began muttering to himself. "Something flowy…lotsa dresses and skirts… Damn you have a lot of leather."

She was on the verge of blurting out another question, fully intent on finding his age (after all, he looked quite young, but the lines of his face and that secret look behind his eyes had her wondering if he was older), when he suddenly reached out and pressed one of her long forgotten summer dresses against her, a finger skimming her collarbone.

"Dis one looks good on y'." he murmured softly, glancing at her and into her eyes to see her reaction.

She knew her eyes must have looked thoroughly surprised but she couldn't help it. Staring back at him she couldn't decipher through his unique eyes if he was playing with her or if he was being sincere. He hadn't touched her inappropriately at all, and his face seemed honest and serious. He wasn't flirting.

But he was still much too close.

She tried stepping back, both from his soft touch against her clothes and from his dizzying gaze on her (which strangely grew in intensity the longer they held eye contact). Realizing she was trying to distance herself physically from him he quickly reached out and caught her slender wrist, becoming slightly exasperated when she flinched at that contact as well.

"_Chere_" he clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "In about one week we're going to have to convince a group of extremely perceptive men who will most likely be watching our every move if we don't keep our cover straight. Part of that cover," he quickly flicked a stray piece of hair from in front of her eyes to behind her ear, tucking it there carefully, "is looking as if we actually like each other." He looked at her expectantly.

Rogue, for her part, was both still uncomfortable with is proximity and angered by his words. "Look, LeBeau," she began hotly, shoving his chest somewhat roughly but at least putting more space between them. "I barely know you. Actually, I don't know you at all. But Ah'm, for whatever reason, agreeing to do this mission with ya. And I'll play the part! But _you_ have to understand what you're up against." Her eyes flashed dangerously at him. "I can't touch people. That's mah mutation. I touch someone, they get hurt. Touch them for too long, they die. Sure Ah've taken the Cure," she waved her hand dismissively, "but that's failing. And any day it could come back. So excuse me if I'm not going to just readily fall into yah lap. You're going to have to be patient with meh." She'd meant for her last statement to sound more bold than it came out. She sounded more like she was pleading than scolding.

Remy, for his part, managed to look somewhat bashful. "Wasn't tryin' t' push you, Rogue. Honestly. Just noticed you kept moving away. And I understand now where you're coming from," he reached over once more to grab her wrist, this time letting his warm fingers trail to her hand and intertwine their fingers, holding her gaze as her breath hitched most likely from discomfort. "But y' gonna have to trust me, okay? I promise not to do anything that will make y' uncomfortable."

She shot him a skeptical look. "OK, no'in that will you _extremely _uncomfortable. Deal?"

She nodded at him, focusing on relaxing her muscles as Remy continued to hold her hand. He grinned widely at her, "Perfect. You got some good stuff in y' closet. Just pack the sundresses and a couple o' your gowns." The both glanced to the side of her closet that held the evening gowns and dresses she's worn to some of the Mansion's dance functions. "Then just remember to pack the essentials, of course."

"Alright," she sighed. "I'll get on that," she glanced once more to their still clasped hands. "You planning on letting go sometime today?" She commented dryly. He only smirked in response, letting go of her hand but at the same time leaning closer, warning her with his eyes.

She gasped, heart racing and face flushing. He was too close again.

He raised one of his hands to brush her long striped bangs to the side, allowing his fingers to tangle briefly with her silken tresses. Leaning in further, he bent to whisper into her ear, heart racing every bit as fast as hers was but not knowing why. It was never his intention to get this close, but he seemed unable to help himself. "Sleep tight, _chere_."

She shivered at the feeling of his warm breath against her ear, taking in the heady scent of him. Cigarettes, cinnamon, and bourbon (he couldn't have possibly had any recently, so she knew it was just a part of him), he made the most complex and intoxicating scent she'd ever experienced.

When he brushed his lips gently over her forehead, trailing down to her temple and then her cheek, she sucked in a sharp breath. He pulled away slowly, still gazing into her eyes. But his red on black looked so different now, filled with some sort of emotion she couldn't place.

Turning away from her, he headed toward the door and was almost out when she called out to him.

"Swamp rat!"

His genuine laugh was loud, effectively breaking whatever tension had been in the room before. "_Oui?"_

"That wasn't exactly respecting the "no making Rogue uncomfortable" rule we had goin'" she sassed, both hands on her hip but unable to keep her stern look.

He smiled her still flushed face and darkened eyes. "_Non_, you're right. But y' handled it so well." One last cocky smile and he was gone.

The rest of the week flew by quickly, with last games of Pretty Princess for Cassie and quality catch up time between Logan and Rogue. Remy and Rogue had been spending increasing amounts of time together, training in the mornings in the DR ("Wonder if psycho doctors can fight?" Remy had pondered aloud) and going out to lunch with the rest of the gang. They were hardly ever alone though, a decision made by both of them. Every night, however, Remy would come to her room to say goodnight and a soft kiss (and once a series of kisses) to her cheek, face, hair of hand would follow.

By the time the morning of their departure came, Rogue was a nervous wreck. Logan and Storm volunteered to take the "newly weds" to the airport, and the whole car ride was silent, with Remy and Ororo's playful bickering breaking the quiet from time to time.

Remy was pulling out their luggage from the trunk when Logan came over to hug Rogue goodbye.

Rogue sighed into Logan's chest. "Is it ok to admit that I really don't want to do this?"

Logan's chest rumbled as he laughed silently at her. "I'm not all excited about this either, but I'm sure Gumbo knows what he's doing."

"You trust him"

"About as far as I can throw him, darlin'. Hmm, wait. About as far as _Jubilee_ could throw him." He pulled back so he could look at her. "He's sneaky, deceptive, a player, a gambler, and with him the stakes are always high."

She stared at him in disbelief. "So why on earth are you letting me go?"

"Because deep down inside is an insecure boy from the streets that hasn't had a very good glimpse of life so far. And you," he tapped her head gently, "only have a few more weeks to figure out what you're going to do with your life after the Cure wears off. Not to sound like Cassie, but I think you'd be good for each other."

"I don't get it."

"You will. Unfortunately, you will."

"Unfortunately?" she questioned, still confused.

He kissed her lightly on her forehead and pushed her gently toward where Remy was waiting with their bags. "Bye, kid. Call when you get there. And Gumbo?"

Remy raised an eyebrow behind his dark sunglasses (a necessity for keeping a low profile in a public place, but his eyes were also dangerously sensitive to the light).

"No funny stuff."

Remy grinned, tossing an arms affectionately around Rogue, who only slightly flinched back this time. "Wouldn't dream of it."

As they began joining the line for their flight, Remy glanced over their papers once more, subconsciously letting his arm drift to Rogue's waist and settle there. Rogue glanced up at him quickly, startled by his movement, but when she saw he gave no reaction she simply settled into his side more. Ladies and gentleman, the new Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Marie Lord.

**Please review!! Just so I know I haven't lost you guys! I'm super excited for all the ROMY scenes I have planned. Tell me what you think so far! By the way, sorry for any grammatical mistakes in this. I pretty much just whipped it out late at night and was so eager to get it posted that I forgot to edit. **


	14. Honeymoon

**Sorry this took so long! But I hope you enjoy! Thanks so much to those of you who read the last chapter and liked it! And a special thanks to those who reviewed. They really make my day **

Sitting First Class in an airplane was certainly a new experience for Marie, and she was greatly amused by how doting and attentive the flight attendants were to her and Remy. Her "husband", however, seemed to find nothing out of the ordinary in the way he was being treated. His whole demeanor was pleasant but strictly business, not even glancing twice at the women who kept offering him the same things twice, giggling whenever he tossed a smile their way.

"Could I get you anything to drink, sir?" A buxom blonde with an obviously cosmetically perfected smile winked slyly at Remy. Never mind the fact that Rogue was sitting right next to him with no beverage whatsoever.

Remy glanced up at the girl who looked to be in her mid twenties and smiled widely. "Why yes, thank you. A glass of wine would be nice." The girl smiled back prettily, twirling a strand of her platinum hair and fluttering her eyelashes. "Anything _else_ I can get you?" She asked, lowered voice heavy with innuendo.

"Actually yes. Another Coke for my lovely wife, please." He stated brightly, doing a perfect job of holding back a smirk when the girl's face fell instantly. "Oh" she said somewhat sourly. "I'll get that for you right now," and she sulked off.

Remy allowed himself a grin and turned back to his laptop doing God knows what. Rogue stared at him in disbelief and Remy caught it immediately. "Yes, _chere?_" he asked quietly but with a playful twinkle in his eyes. A few minutes before they had boarded the plane Remy had excused himself to the bathroom, emerging with his sunglasses in hand and deep brown eyes in the place of his red on black. Rogue had been alarmed at first, but had never gotten the chance to ask him how he'd done it with so many people within earshot. Now seemed like as good a time as any.

"What happened to your eyes?" she demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"Hank gave 'em to me before we left. Designed to hide the red and the black. But if y' look close, y' can still see a bit o' the red underneath." He shrugged. "Not the most comfortable thing in the world, but a hell of a lot less suspicious than wearin' sunglasses everywhere."

Rogue only nodded in understanding. Storm had announced three days ago that Rogue's white stripe was too obvious of a feature to recognize her by and that she'd have to dye it. Kitty and Jubilee helped her do it, finally finding a color that matched her natural shade of rich brown. She's surprised herself by actually being upset about having to hide her stripes. As painful as the memory of getting them was, they'd become a part of her, something she'd lived through and showed proudly. She could imagine Remy felt the same way about his eyes.

'You miss them?" Rogue couldn't help but inquire.

Remy, whose eyes hadn't left hers, looked surprised by her question. "I guess" he made a face to himself. "Like I said before, this way is a lot less conspicuous. But," he smiled softly at her and raised a hand to play gently with the part of her hair that should have held shocks of white, "I do feel as if something's missing."

Rogue would have smiled back if she hadn't been so preoccupied with Remy touching her again. Since that first evening in her bedroom, he'd been touching some part of her whenever he was near. This instance shouldn't have startled her so much, but it was an odd sensation to know that the touching was no longer part of preparation; it was what they would have to live by for the next few weeks.

Hearing footsteps behind her she realized it must have been the blonde attendant, and the devilish grin Remy gave her confirmed it. He leaned in to her more, hand still touching her hair and lips skimming her cheek, moving sensually up and down. Rogue's breath caught in her chest but she forced herself to relax, placing a small hand on his chest and marveling how muscular it felt even through a shirt and a jacket. She could feel his smile against her face as he angled his head and moved his warm lips toward her jaw. A strange and foreign jolt of _something_ went through her system, just like it had when they had first crossed paths in New Orleans, and she tilted her head so that she and Remy were eye to eye again. His face was carefully crafted to be unreadable, but he stared her down, eyes searching hers for her reaction to their game. She, realizing the blonde was right behind him, said nothing but gave him a very feminine laugh, playfully pushing him away and turning toward their attendant.

"I apologize for my husband" she laughed again sweetly, carefully disguising her southern accent and adopting a more Upper East Side way of speaking. "He just can't seem to control himself!"

Remy, smiling hugely like an over eager and excited husband, reached out for their drinks, making sure to brush across Marie's frame as he did so. "Thank you," he commented politely, keeping his eyes trained on his "wife".

"You're welcome" the girl mumbled reluctantly, walking quickly away.

Marie shoved at Remy's arm once she had left. "You're awful. What was that anyway?" she asked with an eye roll, referring to his public display of affection with her earlier.

"According to our cover," he grinned at her, "we just got married 5 hours ago and are now headed to our fabulous honeymoon location in a beautiful California beach city. And everyone knows what happens on honeymoons." He laughed openly at her skeptical look. "I'm just pretending, _petite._ Not taking any of this seriously." He looked over at his drink and took a sip, making a small face when he was done. "Not the greatest but decent for an airline. Wan' a sip?"

She gave him an amused look. "I'm not exactly of age, you know."

"Nineteen's just two years off of legal. Don't be afraid to stretch the laws a bit," he joked playfully. "Besides, how long ago did you turn 19?"

"Just three weeks ago." She looked away out of the window, not really seeing the full white clouds surrounding the plane. Her birthday had been quite a small affair, with Liza taking her to a small restaurant and then back to her apartment for a chick flick marathon. Logan had been the only one to call, wishing her a gruff but sincere 'happy birthday' and filling her in on the Mansion's recent activities.

Remy stared at her, true eyes blazing underneath his contacts. Realizing she wasn't going to say anything else he turned back to his laptop, wondering what else he would learn about the shy _belle_ on this trip.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Remy's fingertips on her forehead woke her up with a jolt, almost banging her head against his with her attempt to sit up. He attempted to cover his laugh of amusement with a cough. For the last 3 hours she had been dozing peacefully on his shoulder, curled innocently into his side and completely unaware of the fact that he had his arm around her.

Glancing around with bewildered eyes she finally remembered where she was, and dropped her head back heavily into her seat. She could hear her companion chuckling beside her and couldn't help but smile back. "I'm not movin' Swamp Rat" she pouted. "Too tired".

"Well then I guess I'm just going to have to carry you." He sighed dramatically.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

From what she had gathered about her partner in crime, Remy was a man of fine (read: expensive) taste. Money appeared to be no problem for him, although to his credit he didn't simply throw it away on too many useless things. So she wasn't too surprised to see that the hotel they would be staying in was one of the finest and most renowned in the U.S. She tried not to look too impressed at its spacious, glittering, elaborate interior but failed, a fact that had Remy smirking hugely at her side.

"Hey!" she jabbed him jokingly. "So I don't get out much, sue me."

He grinned wider, if possible, and tightened his hold on her waist as they walked into their honeymoon suite to where their luggage had already been placed.

Of course there was only one bed, decorated like something out of a romance novel. Flower petals adorned the covers and pillows, and the headboard was wide, exotic, and sturdy. There was a large, sleek desk that Remy immediately walked towards, setting up his computer and all of the equipment Angel had said they would need.

Rogue's eyes widened when she opened the door to the bathroom. It was huge of course, and spotless. But the most stunning part of it was the wide, Jacuzzi sized bathtub, with more faucets than she thought could possibly be needed for someone just taking a simple bath.

Oh right, she thought with a blush, _one_ person wouldn't just be a taking a bath in this suite.

Turning to her reflection in the mirror and pulling out a brush from her purse, she called out to her partner.

"_Oui, chere?"_ He seemed to respond absentmindedly.

"What are we doing tonight? I need to know if I should freshen up or anything." She continued stroking her hair, sighing in displeasure at the lack of her white stripe.

Suddenly he was right behind her, making her jump because she hadn't even heard him get up from his chair. He whistled at the sight of the tub. "Wow, they really _do_ go all out for honeymooners" he threw a smile her way, and then commenced grooming his own hair. "We're just goin' down to the lobby. See and be seen, y' know? Maybe we'll get lucky and someone of importance will be down there. But you should wear a dress. A nice one."

She grimaced at his reflection. "Why?"

There was that smile again, she thought, and couldn't help but admire how much it enhanced his already ridiculously good looks. " Because I'm taking y' out to dinner, that's why." He ran a hand through her hair, as if testing its smoothness. Wrapping the end of one of her soft curls around his finger, he looked at her about to protest. "And I _want_ to, Rogue. It'll give us a chance to know each other better, _non_?"

He smiled in satisfaction at her small nod. "Now out, I need the restroom" he gently pushed her out of the bathroom and shut the door in her face with a devilish grin.

Blinking rapidly at their exchange, Rogue turned away from the door and ran to her now ringing cell phone.

"Hello" she answered warmly, recognizing Logan's number.

"Rogue" he responded gruffly. "You two there yet?"

"Yeah we're here. And this room is crazy big." She bounced back onto the bed. "And lyin' on the bed makes you feel like your floating on feathers. I think I might just invest in one of these when I get back."

"You plannin' on staying at the Mansion when you get back, Kid?" he asked, amusement coloring his question.

Her eyes widened as she realized what she'd said. "I- well- let's just get through this first, shall we? Any other reason you called other than just to check up on me?"

Storm's voice was the one that answered. "Rogue, where's Remy?" She asked curtly.

She glanced at the bathroom door "Still in the bathroom."

Rogue heard Storm sigh heavily on the other end. "Well tell him to stop staring at his reflection and come to the phone! We have news."

"Already? We just got here!" Rogue exclaimed in surprise. "Remy! Storm's on the phone and she says stop staring at your reflection so you can hear her news."

Remy's laugh was throaty and rich as he exited the bathroom, taking the phone from her with an easygoing grin. "I wasn't staring at myself, _petite._ And even if I was…could you blame me?"

Whatever Storm said on the other end of the line sobered him up immediately. His eyes darkened (back to their original state, as he had removed his contacts once he got into the room) and he nodded his head curtly, clicking the call to an end after only a few more seconds of discussion. He then turned to the laptop on his desk.

Startled by his sudden change in moods, but also frustrated by the fact that she had yet to know what Storm's news had been, she walked slowly but purposefully behind the chair, leaning over his shoulder to see what was on the screen.

He seemed to be scanning a file of some sort, one over someone named Dr. Jonathan North.

"Who's that?" She couldn't stop the question from spilling out.

"One of the doctors we need to be following and questioning. And he's here right now in this hotel." Rogue's eyes widened in surprise and leaned closer to take a better look at his picture. Nothing about him looked sinister at all, but that's the way it was with criminal men. He had sleek brown hair, with some areas starting to gray, and hard green eyes.

"Think we'll be able to see him tonight?" she wondered aloud.

Remy finally turned his full attention to her. "Maybe. We can only hope. You ready to go?"

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Remy had chosen a very classy Italian restaurant for them to dine in, and the evening was turning out to be quite comfortable. Despite her initial shyness, she found herself enjoying her time with Remy…and the food. He was dressed to the nines, in a suit and tie ensemble that she would have never guessed he owned. He'd always been a comfortable dresser; worn jeans and shirts that showed off his upper muscles. Casual, yet dangerous. For her part she'd worn a dress of deep green with tiny straps, something she had purchased for herself in New Orleans. And she told him so.

"I find it quite funny that you were in my city while I was making myself at home in yours." He smiled at her over his wine.

She smiled back easily. "I can hardly call New York _my_ city. I've only lived there a couple of years."

He raised his eyebrows in question.

"I was born in Mississippi" she explained after a bite of ravioli. "Grew up there, lived there all my life up until my powers manifested. Then I ran" she turned away from his burning gaze, staring instead her glass of water. "I was on the road for about eight months and ended up in a bar in Canada. That's where I met Logan. Long story short we ended up in New York and that's where I stayed till I got the Cure."

"And that's when you decided to take a trip to the Louisiana?" he questioned softly, reaching across the table to take her fingers in his.

She slowly allowed her gaze to return to his, taking in his eyes and enjoying the fact that she could see the smallest hint of the burning red behind his contacts. She then looked at their hands, and at his fingers carefully turning hers over through his. His skin was rough, but pleasantly so, and she could tell it was from many years of hard and skilled work.

"I was actually heading back to Mississippi to visit my family." She couldn't keep all of the pain and disappointment out of her voice. He interlaced their fingers and gripped them more tightly in a surprisingly comforting gesture. "But I decided they really weren't worth the visit. Any family that turns away their child just when things start to get rough…well that's not a family now is it?"

His smile was reassuring. "_Non_, it's not."

She held his gaze for a few more seconds before returning, with a blush, to her food. Her left hand was still in Remy's and she surprised herself with her lack of desire to move it. "What about you? What made you come to New York?"

He laughed a little and gently released her hand, much to her disappointment. "I was looking for the Wolverine. Needed him to do a favor for me. And Stormy had called me a while back for a favor. Turns out she just wanted me to teach. And join the X-Men." He rolled his eyes.

She chose not to ask what his favor from Logan was. Something told her that anything involving the two of them together couldn't possibly be safe…or legal. Shaking her head at that thought, she turned her attention to the other occupants of the restaurant. The diners ranged from middle aged married couples to lawyers on business meetings. She saw grey heads, bald heads, heads with ridiculous weaves, and the most expensive pieces of jewelry she'd ever seen in her life. Well, besides the expensive rock Remy had given her as her ring. But one of the customers caught her eye immediately. "Remy!" she hissed quietly. "It's Dr. North!"

He knew better than to look, so hissed back at her under his breath "Y' sure?"

"Yeah! It's definitely him. And he's with a couple of other guys, a woman that looks like she could be his wife…and Warren's dad!" she couldn't believe their luck, but began chewing on her bottom lip in thought. "So what now? It's not like we can just go over there."

Remy, for his part, was doing his best to tear his eyes away from her lips. He was slightly frustrated by the fact that he was so easily aroused by such a simple action, but even more so by the fact that he really couldn't do anything about it.

They both observed Mrs. North stand regally and, with an affectionate pat to her husband's shoulder, walk towards the restrooms. Remy looked sharply at Rogue, who immediately took the hint to follow her.

The bathroom was, of course, spotless, wide, and filled with some of the most expensive looking towels and soaps she'd ever seen in a public place. She stood at the mirror, with the pretense of fixing her makeup and adjusting her dress while waiting for the woman to emerge from her stall.

When she did, Rogue took action. Passing her a bottle of soap, Rogue smiled hugely and warmly. "That one was almost out" she explained good naturedly, pointing to the bottle of soap that was closest to Mrs. North. The woman looked surprised by such a nice gesture.

"Why thank you my dear," she responded with a warm smile of her own. "I don't know why they never take the time to refill these things." She shook her head as if thoroughly disappointed in the shortcomings of every restaurant in the world.

Rogue could only nod fervently in agreement, thinking quickly of a way to get what she wanted out of this lady. But that soon seemed unnecessary with Mrs. North's next comment.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you before. Are you a tourist?" she questioned shrewdly, but not unkindly.

"Oh no, ma'am. I'm here with my husband for our honeymoon. It's out first night" she added in a shy tone.

The woman's eyes widened with pleasure. "But that's wonderful! Congratulation my dear! Oh I must meet him. He must be quite a catch to have gained the affections of such a lovely young lady. Oh where are my manners…I'm Elizabeth North."

Rogue could only blush at the compliment. "Why thank you Mrs. North. I'm Marie Lord. My husband, Robert, is waiting for me back at the table of course."

"Well we shall keep him waiting for you no longer."

It's almost ridiculous how easily you can make friends in a bathroom.

As they headed back to the table, Rogue could barely contain her triumphant grin, and Remy most certainly caught it. Standing up, he took Mrs. Lord's hand and pressed a small kiss to it. Always the charmer. Elizabeth let out a girlish giggle. "Oh Marie, what a husband you have here" she smiled playfully at the two of them. "What manners…and he's quite handsome" she added in a fake whisper to Marie, who played along and laughed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lord" Remy said graciously.

"Likewise, of course. Oh you must meet my husband! You know, we had our honeymoon here as well. About 20 years ago." She smiled in her reminiscing of what must have been a very good time. "Johnathan! John come here, love" she called to Dr. North, who politely excused himself from his conversation with Dr. Worthington.

Remy sent a sly wink to Rogue as if to say "good work." Rogue grinned. Maybe she really would be able to get through this mission without having any powers at all.

"John, this is Marie and Robert Lord. They just got married" she held onto her husband's arm in pleasant excitement. "And they're honeymooning here. Isn't that sweet?"

Johnathan, though nowhere near as giddy as his wife, shook both of their hands with a warm smile. "Congratulations to the both of you! I'm sure my wife has told you we came here 20 ago for the same reason" he kissed his wife affectionately on her cheek.

"Thank you, sir. And yes!" Rogue smiled again.

"Well now, you two have any plans tomorrow night?" he sent a devious wink to Remy. Some sort of man code that Remy couldn't help but grin at.

"Nothing set in stone for the evening. We were planning on sight seeing in the afternoon." Remy's ability to hide his accent was quite admirable, considering how strong it actually was.

Elizabeth grabbed both of Marie's hands in her own. "Well then please say you'll join us for dinner and drinks tomorrow night." John shook his head in amusement at his wife's antics but turned to Remy and extended the same offer.

"It will be me and a few of my good friends from work, and it should be a very relaxing evening. The men talk with men, and the women talk with the women…presumably _about_ the men" he elbowed Remy in good humor. "I assume you're also staying at the resort?" A nod of confirmation from Remy earned him a clap on the shoulder. "Well then my boy we'll just be in the grand ballroom around 9 o'clock or so. There's a bar in there and everything."

"Thank you so much for the invitation, Mr. Lord." Remy's smile was genuine. This little invite made their jobs a lot easier.

"Please, call me John" Dr. North said genially. "Now if you'll excuse us," he held on to his wife's arm, gently pulling her away back toward their table, "we'll see the two of you tomorrow".

"Good night. And thank you again." Rogue turned toward Remy. "Ready to go honey?" she asked in an adoring tone. Grinning from ear to ear, Remy took her arm in his and led her out of the door of the restaurant.

"You, _chere,_ are as amazing as you are beautiful." He commented to her as they stepped out onto the street outside.

"I still say we just got lucky." Rogue threw back at him, although blushing at what he'd said.

He slung an arm around her shoulder and tipped his head back, as if breathing in the night. "_Dieu,_ what I'd give to actually be on vacation right now." He muttered to himself.

Not understanding his comment, Rogue kept silent, trying to relax under the feeling of his arm and finding it really wasn't that difficult anymore.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

The resort was still brightly lit and buzzing slightly with pleasurable activity and relaxation when the returned, and the clerk at the front desk tipped his head politely at the pair as the walked in. Still slightly giddy from their successful evening, it wasn't until they were alone in the elevator that Rogue realized what the rest of the night had in store.

Sharing a bed with Remy was the number one thing she had blocked from her mind when preparing for this trip. But when the reached the room she realized she couldn't ignore it anymore. She glanced at the open bathroom door.

Well, maybe she could stall a few more minutes.

Dashing to her suitcase to get her things, she told Remy she wanted a bath.

"Have at it, _ma Cherie_. It's all yours." After turning on the television, he threw himself backwards on the bed and tucked his hands behind his head, a position that did too much justice to his lean physique.

Yes, it was definitely time for a bath.

**How was it? Like it? Send me a review! **

**Next up…bedtime **


	15. Sparks

This certainly wasn't the first time Remy had had the pleasure of sharing a room with a beautiful _femme. _But this was definitely the first time he'd actually been somewhat nervous about doing so. Although not outright bitter, he felt as if he could safely assume that she'd closed herself off from all possibilities of touching and potential intimacy ever since she'd heard the Cure wasn't permanent. He couldn't blame her either. Having such a dangerous mutation wasn't a walk in the park for anyone; he knew from experience. Glancing down at his scarred hands, he sighed.

Remy didn't want to make her feel as if he was pressuring her into anything. Even if it was just simple proximity, sharing a bed was a pretty big deal for women (he would never understand) and he could imagine that it would be an even bigger deal for a woman who'd never been intimate in her life. Or so he assumed, he thought with a frown. How close had she and Bobby been, anyway?

When he heard the bathroom door open, he couldn't stop himself from looking up.

Her look of innocence was maddeningly arousing. Fresh face, clear of all makeup, and cheeks flushed from her steamy bath, Rogue looked ethereally beautiful. She tightened her robe more securely (if that was even possible) around her, blushing heavily when she noticed his eyes on her.

"The bathtub is pretty amazing" she stammered out, after a couple of seconds of awkward silence and staring. "Lots of jets and stuff, and it's huge! I don't know who they think would need a tub that big."

He let out a short laugh. It just seemed so wrong and cruel for a woman this alluring to be this naïve about intimacy. "_Petite,_ this is the honeymoon suite, _non_? The bathtub is meant for two people."

Her eyes widened, embarrassed at her own stupidity. "Oh. W-well yeah of course." She blushed heavily.

Still laughing, he excused himself for his own bath, allowing her to use the room to change.

Quickly, in case he came out of the bathroom for something, Rogue pulled off her robe to begin dressing for bed. Searching everywhere for her pajamas and having no luck finding them, she began to feel suspicious.

"I know I packed them all…" she muttered to herself. Still nothing. She couldn't even find her sets of comfortable underwear. What she _did_ find, however, was a box hidden at the bottom of her garment bag, with a note attached on the top. Oh God.

Pulling the box out slowly, handling it with as few fingers as possibly. "Please please please let this not be what I think it is." But, confirming her fears, the note was addressed to her from Kitty and Jubilee.

**Happy Honeymoon!**

**We figured this would be a lot more appropriate for your nights than all those baggy t- shirts and cotton pants you tried to pack.**

**You can thank us later! Have fun (wink wink) **

She closed her eyes and let out a breath, preparing herself for what was in the box. Opening the lid, she sighed in relief. Oh to be sure the lingerie was racier than anything she ever would have picked out herself, but at least there was nothing outright tacky…like a leopard print corset. Everything was silky, frilly, lacy and small, but at least the nightgowns and PJ sets they had picked out weren't see through. At least she hoped they weren't.

Choosing a black knee length nightgown and a set of underwear ('boy these are going to be uncomfortable to sleep in'), she quickly dressed and then got under the covers of the bed. She wondered if she'd be able to feign sleep before Remy emerged from his bath. No such luck, as he came out a few minutes later.

Remy was the sort of man that looked so good in clothing that most women's minds immediately jumped to how he would look _without_ clothing. He was attractive, and had been told he was since he was in his early teens. So it was nothing new to see a woman staring lustfully at him. It was something entirely different, and much more exciting, to see Rogue look at his physique with a spark of interest in her eyes. And he was fully clothed with a pair of pajama pants and white t-shirt. He longed to see her reaction to him in a much more…personal setting. He'd

love to see her blush, her mouth parted slightly, sighing his name while he-

_Dieu_ he was getting ahead of himself. He climbed in the bed on the other side, adjusting the covers to his waist and picking up the remote to switch the television channels. Rogue turned to him, determined not to be so stiff, although she couldn't help the slight tensing of her muscles.

He looked back at her with a reassuring smile, noticing the slight distress in her eyes. "I promise I don't bite."

She laughed nervously. "Ha-sure you don't Cajun. I bet you say that to all the girls just to lure them into a false sense of security."

Remy dramatically pressed a hand to his heart, pretending to be affronted. "Well I for one am offended. You make me sound like a dirty old man!"

She smirked at his theatrics. "You're quite a card, Swamp Rat."

"Where did all of these pet names come from, _hein?_ It's only fitting that I have one for you."

She grimaced. "Guess I had that coming. As long as it isn't Stripes. That one is Logan's. Oh, or Skunkhead."

Remy made a face. "Who the hell came up with that one?"

"Bobby. And John I guess. They thought it was funny. I just thought it was gross." She rolled her eyes.

Remy refrained from commenting, in case she did not want to talk about her ex boyfriend anymore. "Well I'll just have to come up with something else to call you by." He said simply, keeping his eyes trained on her face for any sort of reaction to the earlier mentioning of Bobby. She looked at his face in return, taking in his eyes and noticing he had gotten rid of the contacts. She couldn't stop her smile of delight.

"They're so unique." She whispered softly, as if afraid that speaking any louder would make the comment sound blunt and insincere. "I've never seen anything like them."

He knew immediately what she was referring to and averted his eyes by habit. "They can be a nuisance. And even a problem when you're trying to get close to some people." He laughed bitterly. My old nickname, back in Louisiana, was _Diable Blanc_."

"The White Devil?" her eyes widened with surprise. "Did they actually think you were…?"

"Some people b' very superstitious. 'Specially older wom'n and _petites._ Wasn't to big with de _bebes_ either." His accent thickened as he thought of his past. "But some people were able to look past them. As far as I know I've had 'em since I was born. They're a part of who I am, so I've grown to accept them." His eyes were still cast downward.

In a move that was completely unlike her, she reached out (albeit tentatively) and placed a hand under his chin, tilting his head so that she could see his eyes again.

"Well I think they're beautiful."

He could have just murmured a thanks and let it go, but no one had ever said anything that heartfelt to him. Not even Belle had anything truly positive to say about his unique features. She found them "weird", but other than that she just didn't talk about them often. As if she was training herself to just forget about them and what they symbolized about _him_.

So instead of just letting it drop, he took her hand gently from his chin and placed her fingertips at his lips, kissing them softly and never releasing her from his gaze.

This girl was amazing. She was a spitfire, independent, and beautiful just like most of his favorite women were. But it was Rogue's heart and soul that attracted him to her the most. He'd met plenty of girls with emotional baggage, but Rogue wasn't jaded and hardened like them. She was understanding and sincere, and he wanted more of what she had to give. At the moment, she was caught completely under his charm, not once bothering to move her hand away from the caressing touch of his lips. Her cheeks were flushed, and with a thief's keen sense he could tell from her hand that her heart rate was up.

But the next move was hers to make. He wouldn't not take her any farther than she was willing to go at this point. Slowly, so as not to make him think she was pulling away, she flexed her fingers and interlaced them with his, not once moving her hand away from his soft lips and his warm breath.

With a reassuring smile, he tightened their grip ever so slightly, moving their hands to rest on the pillow space between them. With his free hand, he turned off the television and switched off the light of the lamp, encasing them in total darkness.

Neither he nor she was entirely sure of what this meant. Sure, it was simple handholding, but there was something unspoken in the air. Remy hoped this meant that she was at least somewhat interested in pursuing a friendship with him…or maybe even something more. Rogue was content just marveling at the small contact. She'd held hands with Bobby before, even with Logan when she reached for him during one of their movie nights. But with Remy everything was charged and full of heat. She loved the feeling.

Neither of them could figure out anything adequate to say after such an innocently sincere moment, so they stayed quiet until they fell asleep, hands still intertwined.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

It was 3:41 in the morning when Remy's eyes shot open, disturbed from his sleep by the sound of muffled muttering coming from his side. The noise, which now sounded like desperate whimpering, was coming from Rogue. Not sure whether to wake her or not, he leaned closer to her, straining to comprehend what she was saying in her distress.

"Not again….please. Please don't."

He frowned, taking a hand and smoothing it over her hair, which was now slightly dampened with sweat. Her legs were squirming, arms reaching out for something she apparently couldn't grasp and it seemed to upset her even more.

"Please I'm begging you. Don't do this. Don't leave me again."

He let out a low growl, furious beyond logical reason with Bobby and what he did to her. This girl was practically crying in her sleep, torn over the idea that he would hurt her again. They weren't even _together_. With a sudden pang of jealousy he realized how deep Bobby had gotten under her skin and into her heart.

Refusing to allow her to continue suffering in her dream any longer, he slid his other arm around her slender wait and continued stroking her hair, quietly shushing her. Feeling his soft breath at her ear, Rogue began waking up slowly, turning in his arms to face his chest.

He tightened his hold on her waist, maneuvering her so that her face was more angled towards his. "_Chere,_ it's ok. Jus'a dream. Everyt'ing's going to be ok." He wasn't sure how comforting those words were going to be to her considering her level of distress, but after her startled eyes searched his frantically for a little while she seemed to calm down significantly. She lowered her head with a deep sigh of relief to his shoulder, snuggling into the crook of his neck. He stroked her back I small circles, hoping to slow her still erratic breathing.

"Thank you." She whispered into his skin.

"I won't leave you." He said fiercely, shocking himself when he realized he actually meant it.

**I realize this is quite a bit shorter than my last few chapters but this was all I was going to cover in this one. How was it? Sorry this took forever for me to write! Leave a review por favor **


	16. Morning Call

**I am SO sorry about not updating…and I PROMISE I'm not giving up yet. I still have a lot to do on this fic **** I started college this fall and it's ridiculously time consuming: P This is a quick one…enjoy!**

He was always high on energy, one of the unique aspects of his mutation, so he never needed much sleep. But waking up with Rogue nestled so closely to him made him want to sleep in, just to prolong the contact. Their position had gotten much more intimate throughout the night; her head remained in his neck but her arm was resting on waist and his on hers, dangerously near her hip. Their legs were tangled, and her open mouth breathing on his neck was doing all sorts of things to him. He could have stayed there until she woke up, but her figured she'd be extremely embarrassed, especially once she thought of the event that got her in that position in the first place. He wondered if she even _remembered_ the nightmare she had.

Slowly extracting himself from her gentle grip, he slipped out of bed and grabbed his cell from the table, sauntering toward the sliding door that led him to the balcony. He breathed in the air and scanned the view. They really _did_ give the best of everything to honeymooners.

He glanced over his shoulder to see if Marie was still asleep. Satisfied to find that she was, he began dialing.

X x x x x x x

Anyone calling the Wolverine at 4 in the morning had to have a damn good reason for doing so. He glared at the annoying device on his bedside table that continued playing an obnoxious ringtone, contemplating throwing it against the wall. Or her could answer it, find out the person's name, hunt them down and kill them. He didn't think Ororo would look too kindly upon that one, though. Sitting up with a scowl, he answered.

"What." Came his vicious growl.

"Bon matin mon ami."

Logan had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Maybe the Cajun had news. "What the hell, Gumbo. Do you know what time it is over here?"

He could practically hear Remy's grin. "Desole, but I think you need to hear this."

"News about Worthington Labs? You couldn't have called someone else? Like…Storm? I'm sure she'd love to hear from you at 4 in the morning. She'd be ecstatic."

"Non", the hesitance in Remy's voice was so uncharacteristic it made Logan sit up straighter. "It's about Rogue.

Logan tensed immediately, ready to spring into action. "What is it? Is she ok? Where are you?"

Remy sighed on the other line, and with his keen hearing he could tell the Cajun had just taken a drag out of a cigarette. "She's fine now I guess. It was just…something happened last night that's got me wondering." He took Logan's silence as a cue for him to continue. "She started moaning and crying in her sleep, begging from-someone-not to leave her again."

"Bobby." Logan said simply.

"Yeah that was my guess."

"Or me."

"What?"

Logan shifted, slightly ashamed. "I could never stay in one place very long. I was still tryin' to figure out all stuff from my past. So I had a tendency to leave a lot. Apparently she always took it really hard but she never said anything. But how bad was it?"

"Well she was a wreck last night. Shaking and crying and yelling. I just thought maybe you should know. Does she do that often?"

"Apparently so. Kitty told me about a couple of episodes when I wasn't around last year. I witnessed a few myself. She's got a whole lot of other people's memories too, don't forget that." Logan sighed heavily and wiped a hand over his face. "Well as long as you stopped her from hurting herself…."

"Oui, I woke her up."

"Good. That's all you really can do. Sometimes she remembers the dream but most of the time she doesn't. I just wouldn't bring it up. She has a tendency to get kind of defensive." Receiving a confirmation 'yes' from Remy, Logan snapped his phone shut, now unable to go back to sleep. Guilt washed over him as he thought of Rogue and all that she would suffer for the rest of her life. "Kid just needs a break." He thought sadly. "A break, and someone who won't leave her." In the back of his mind, he knew Remy might just be that person. If Rogue would just let him be.

**I know it's super short…but read and review! When I get reviews, they motivate me to put down my HW and write **


	17. Morning Call pt 2

Remy let out a huge sigh once Logan had hung up, wiping his face with his hand and letting himself sink to the ground, back resting against the bars of the balcony. He felt terrible. He knew none of it was his fault, but how could he not feel terrible for such a beautiful _femme_ plagued with so many problems…none of which were hers! What kind of person deserved a mutation such as that? Certainly not her.

He looked up from his gaze on his phone once he heard rustling come from the bed. He smiled to himself as he saw Marie stretch lazily, sitting up slowly to smooth down her hair. He couldn't stop himself from admiring her form, she was so slender and well built, and from the way the sheets barely covered her he could see how toned her legs were. He watched her scan the room until she found him outside. She gave him a sleepy smile as she rolled out of bed and walked toward him.

He gave her a lazy grin as she stood over him, forcing himself not to stare lustfully at her sinfully short and form fitting nightgown. Where had she gotten _that _from?

"You always up so early in the morning Cajun?" she cocked her hips, still blinking sleepily.

He pulled himself off of the ground to stand in front of her, leaning in playfully close. "I don't need much sleep". He pulled a stray hair from out of her face where the wind had blown it. "It's something that usually comes in handy…" she gave a scathing look of disgust, "but most of the time it's just a nuisance."

She gave him a small smile. "I bet. You seem like the kind of person to want to sleep the day away."

Happy that she hadn't moved away from him he decided to push the limits a little more. He took her hand in his and led her slowly back inside the hotel room. She didn't pull her hand back but he could tell by her blush she was nervous.

"Breakfast?"

She frowned. "What…do they do room service? Isn't that expensive?"

His laugh was loud and genuine. "You really don't get out much do you?"

The sound of a knock at the door had them both glancing at each other suspiciously. It's hard to be calm when you know there are people in the city that might catch on to you at any point and try to do you in.

She let go of his hand slowly and waltzed gracefully toward the door, tousling her hair as she went and pulling one of the straps of her nightgown lower. She was aiming for the "I just had amazing sex with my brand new husband" look. He'd never seen anything more intoxicating.

She answered it with a bright smile. "Yes?"

"The residents on the top suite ordered a breakfast buffet for you. A Mr. and Mrs…"

"North?" Rogue's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes ma'am. That's them." He wheeled the cart of food into the suite, trying to hide his jealous glances at Remy who had positioned himself lazily on the bed. A very "I just had mind blowing sex with my new wife" pose.

Rogue shot a wide grin to Remy behind the man's back. They had gotten into the doctor's good graces so easily, and it would be now be a piece of cake to find out more about his and his colleagues' intentions concerning the new "cure".

"They also sent a note, reminding you about your engagement in the ballroom tonight at 9", the young man said once he had finished arranging the food." With that he took his leave, risking one last longing glance at Rogue and one of jealousy toward Remy.

Rogue jumped onto the bed beside Remy in delight. "Maybe this trip won't take so long after all, what do you think?" she glance up at his face, startled once she realized how close she was sitting to him. Their legs were touching, though his were fully covered by pajama bottoms. She could still feel his heat, and his body was angled in a way that, had she leaned forward any further, her whole body would be pressed against his. He smiled warmly at her, seemingly unfazed by their proximity. He even reached over to her to adjust one of her fallen nightdress straps, although that was more for his personal sanity than her modesty.

"Ouis, We might not have to spend months here after all. But are you so eager to head back home _chere?_ Anyone in particular you're anxious to see?"

She knew he was simply teasing, but his words brought back the image of Bobby. And with the thought of Bobby, memories of her dream the night before came flooding back. She groaned in horror, falling face forward onto the bed in embarrassment.

Remy was thoroughly confused, but sensed her shame. He began rubbing a soothing hand along her back. "What's the matter?"

She couldn't bring herself to look at his face. What he must think of her! Moaning and crying and wailing in her sleep over a boy. She mumbled into the sheets "It's nothing. Really."

Frowning, he leaned over her a little more, applying more pressure to her back and using both hands now, coaxing her to relax and open up to him. He also just enjoyed any opportunity to touch her. "Don' seem like nothin' to me. C'mon, you can tell me", he gave her sides a little tickle, delighted when she laughed and squirmed against him.

She eventually turned over to face him, sending Remy's massaging hands from her back around to her waist. He made no effort to move them and neither did she. "I think I had a nightmare last night and…well I don't know. I'm just afraid maybe you heard me say some things in my sleep." She blushed a little, biting her bottom lip and waiting for his response.

So she _could_ remember her nightmares. Well he certainly couldn't lie to her. "_Ouis ma chere,_ you did." He felt a pang of remorse at her mortified expression and began running his hands along her sides, the only comforting gesture he could think of at the moment that _didn't_ involve using his lips to kiss away her blush. "You sounded like you were calling out for someone. I tried to wake you before you hurt yourself, you were tossin' a lot".

She sighed, still not moving away from his touch but rather sinking into it. He wondered if she even noticed. "I'm sorry you had to hear that." Her voice held a tone of finality, and he did not push her for more details on her dream. He figured if she wanted to share, she would on her own time. Unable to stop himself, he leaned over and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her temple.

She met his eyes once he pulled away, a question in her own eyes and another blush coloring her cheeks. He leaned back to give her more space, determined not to make her uncomfortable. But _Dieu _ did he love it when she blushed like that.

He watched her as she went back to the tray of food, nibbling excitedly on the strawberries and examining the pastries. She tried not to think too much about Remy's comforting words and gestures once she realized what had happened last night. He was so sweet and caring…and gentle! Not at all what the big scary Gambit was supposedly like. She'd like to think that it was her that brought out this part of him, but she also remembered his infamy for being a charmer. Maybe he was this way with all the women he had to play husband with. Speaking of husband….

"Does this make you uncomfortable?" she couldn't help but blurt out.

He looked thoroughly startled. Did the sight of her standing in the middle of their sunlight honeymoon suite wearing nothing but a silk black nightgown and sucking on a strawberry make him uncomfortable? Was she kidding?

Sensing his confusion Marie elaborated. "This," she gestured to the both of them and then swept an arm around the room. "Playing married. You said you'd been married before, right?" Seeing the way his lips turned down in a slight frown made her realize how bold she's been. "I mean…I'm sorry I brought this up." Stupid question.

Realizing she was afraid of his reaction he quickly straightened his face. "_Non_, it's fine, _chere_. Honestly." He looked at her, sincerity clear in his vivid red on black eyes. She loved the moments when he didn't have his contacts in. "I loved m' ex-wife. Probably always will" he glanced away thoughtfully. "But that's long been over. I don't really think about her too often. Sometimes I forget I was even married to her."

She started inquisitively at him, a curious smile on her lips. Maybe one day he would tell her more about his ex and what made them divorce. Until then, she could at least give him a little more information about herself.

"The dream I had last night was about Bobby." She stated calmly. He simply looked at her, gentle curiosity in his eyes. She loved that he didn't push her. "We broke up after I got the Cure. Or rather…" she rolled her eyes "well we never officially broke up, I just left."

"Did he cheat on y'" his question was calm but Marie could tell he was starting to get angrier. She wondered briefly when he'd developed such hostility against Bobby. She'd have to ask Logan.

"Not technically. I just caught him with Kitty. A lot."

"I see" Was all he said, seeming to compose himself a bit better and even standing up next to her to try some of the breakfast foods. He was just about to snatch a grape out of Marie's hand when his cell phone rang.

"_Allo?"_

"Remy!" he had to hold the phone away from his hears in order to keep from going deaf. Cassie could be very exuberant.

He stuck his tongue playfully out at Rogue as she laughed at him. "Mornin' _mom petite_. You missin' Remy already?"

"Yes, I've been really lonely since you left" he could hear the pout in her voice and it gave him a twinge of guilt. "But I got Mister Logan to play Pretty Princess with me!"

Rogue was beside herself with laughter now. Remy had a hard time controlling himself too except he could hear Logan growling in the background behind Cassie. Rogue might be able to get away with poking fun at the Wolverine but Gambit liked to keep all his body parts firmly intact.

"Y' did? And how did ya manage that _hein?"_

"I have my ways" she giggled. "Anyway I was calling to tell you hi. Hi! And I miss you. And I hope you're being nice to Miss Rogue. And I hope you're not drinking any of that weird stuff mommy says is bad for you."

Remy grinned "I'll see you soon Cass."

Rogue threw a grape at his head once he'd hung up. "Softie" she teased. "She's gonna have the world's biggest crush on you once she realizes what a crush is."

Ignoring her statement he sidled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He was delighted when she didn't shirk from him, and ecstatic when she even leaned her head back to rest against him.

"So what y' say we do today, _chere?" _ he said lowly.

She turned to face him with a dangerous smile. "Anything and everything sugah. You're paying."

**Stick with me guys. Haven't given up yet. Next time…a kiss? We're making progress here!**


	18. Something Different

**I actually had some grand motivation to get this chapter out! Sorry if this next one takes a while though (I'm praying it won't). Finals are just around the corner though *peeks at calendar with fear* Enjoy some Romy fluff!**

They took the day to explore the hotel and the surrounding area, laughing with at and at each other as they shared more stories of their childhoods.

"So you were adopted? I haven't even heard you mention anything about your family yet!"

He gave her a sly grin. "I was tryin' t' keep my stories tame _chere. _ And the ones involving my family are anything but." He chuckled good naturedly at her look of confusion. " I love my family. _Ma pere, J_ean Juc, took me in when I was about six. Caught me tryin' to pick pocket him." He laughed at the memory. "I was so scared he was going to turn me into the police…I'd never been caught before…" he trailed off with a smile.

"Wait, you stole from people more than once?" her tone was nothing but curiosity, no judgment.

"_Oui,_ up until I met papa I'd lived on the streets pretty much my whole life. Went to a couple of children's centers but they usually never let me stay long."

"You're eyes" she whispered in sympathy and a hint of anger. Why was it that no one else saw how beautiful and unique they were?

"Exactly. But when Jean Luc caught me he never really said anything about my eyes. Took me home, had Tante Mattie fix me something to eat, let me stay the night and gave me a trial play date with Henri-he didn't like me so much at first- and then the next morning he announced I was staying as long as I wanted to. He's a good man." Rogue could see the admiration he held for his father in his eyes. "And eventually Henri grew to like me a bit more. Had to, seein' as how I was to become his brother and eventually take his spot in the family business."

"Family business?" she asked in a surprised tone.

He remained quiet for a few minutes, wondering how best to answer the question. He typically didn't dole out information about his family to anyone. On the other hand, this girl was trusting, kind, and non-judgmental. He liked her a lot, he already knew that, and she seemed to be very open and honest with him.

"My family is in the thievin' business…we're actually part of a Guild." He stared at her face, waiting for a negative reaction. Her face remained impassive. "And your father is the head of this…guild?"

"Ouis, and soon it'll be mine to handle."

She blinked several times. Well this was a background story she hadn't heard before. After living for a couple of years in a mansion full of mutant kids with interesting background stories, she' d thought she'd heard everything.

"_Chere?" _ he questioned uneasily as he waited for a response. He got a huge smile in return. "I think that's really cool. I mean I don't condone stealing or anything-" she gave him a mock glare. "But stealing as a business rather than a pastime seems pretty…Italian mob-like".

Comforted by her acceptance, he tightened the arm around her waist (another part of the marriage pretense) and drew her closer to his side, pressing a genuine kiss to her hair.

Rogue, for her part, thoroughly enjoyed the physical contact Remy provide. He never pushed her, and every time they had to step up their pretense when they passed by people, he never did anything that made her remotely uncomfortable. His hand running through her hair, a quick nuzzle to the neck, soft kisses across her face…everything he did gave her nothing but butterflies. At first she wasn't sure if she was giddy at the human contact, or just giddy at Remy's presence. But remembering her time in New Orleans and how she'd refused to kiss any of her date she quickly realized her giddiness was coming from being so near her current companion. He was charming, at ease, clever and focused solely on her. Never once did he glance at any of the women around the resort that winked flirtatiously at him. One woman was even bold enough to saunter sexily over to him and gave him her card. All he did was smile good naturedly and pull Marie closer to him, claiming he was happily married to an amazing, beautiful woman and wasn't looking for any other women in his life. The way he smiled down at her while saying it was enough to make Marie's heart stop. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had ever called her beautiful.

They continued to walk in comfortable silence until Remy's put his lips to her ear, not wanting to speak too loud and scare her out of her deep concentration. "Are you ready to go back?"

She leaned in closer, putting a hand to his chest. It was amazing how quickly she got comfortable with him. They'd been touring for a couple of hours now, and it wasn't until then that she realized how hungry she was. She pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his chin (partly to get rid of the middle aged cougar staring lustfully at Remy and partly for her own enjoyment). "Yes" she whispered back just a soft. "I'm starving anyway" she laughed as she pulled back.

He laughed with her. "Didn't we just have breakfast _Cherie?" _

Her eyes twinkled mischievously at him. "Are you implying that I'm fat, Cajun? Cuz if you are, you're sleeping on the couch tonight." She danced out of his grasp, skipping playfully ahead of him so he couldn't catch her.

"_Non, _not fat. Never fat. Nothin' wrong with a woman with a healthy appetite. " he winked at her over his shades. "Although I prefer it when the woman has an appetite for ot'er things…like _moi." _ He grinned seductively at her.

Her eyes widened comically and her blush could be seen all the way down to her low cut tank top, enticing him to wonder just how far down that blush went. It was funny to him how much her innocence attracted him to her, considering most of the women he'd been with very much…experienced. He was jerked out of his thoughts by Rogue grabbing his arm and pulling him toward one of the closer restaurants. "Enough dirty talk Cajun, I'm starving…for food!"she exclaimed at the Cheshire cat grin he was sporting.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x

Their lunch was delicious but otherwise uneventful, and they proceeded to spend the rest of their day lounging lazily in their hotel room. After several bouts of dozing, card games (she was lousy at poker) and reality show re-runs, they finally began to get dressed for their dinner. He waited for her to finish getting dressed in the bathroom (she had playfully punched him when he'd offered to join her in there), while he adjusted his tie in the mirror.

"Y' almost ready _chere?" _ he asked through the door.

"No." The blunt reply was all he got in return. He was going to simply shrug it off when he heard a sniff. Worried, he knocked on the door, calling her name again.

"No. Just go away. Please." Her last word sounded choked off and broken, far away and sad. Thoroughly confused and concerned, he ignored her request and came into the bathroom.

Had it been any other circumstance he would have stared openly at Marie's curvaceous body. She was dressed in form fitting black dress and he praised the good Lord above for having designed a woman with such an attractive figure. But his appraisal of her looks were pushed aside roughly as he met her eyes.

Whatever amount of makeup she'd been attempting to apply was not smudged around her eyes. Her high black heels were sprawled on the other side of the room. He'd never seen her so upset (never mind the fact that he'd only known her for a couple of weeks). She just didn't seem like the type to break down like this, curled into herself.

She attempted a scowl through her tears. "I thought I asked you to leave me alone." She tried to sound angry but failed miserably. Not really paying attention to what he was doing, he dropped down on his knees next to her. He mechanically reached out to push a strand of hair behind her ears only to have her jump violently away from him. Away from touch.

He clucked his tongue in slight disapproval and made to hold one of her hands, only to have her pull away from him again.

"Marie. What's going on?" he pleaded with her to tell him but she refused to meet his eyes. "_s'il vous plait, Cherie…dites-moi"_

Rogue shook her head sadly and took several deep breaths, ignoring his confused looks as she slowly picked herself up from the ground and turned to face the large mirror above the sink. He stood up slowly behind her, watching carefully as she made to wash her face with one of the soft hotel towels. He finally began to catch on to what might be bothering her as he caught the sad looks she kept giving her reflection. Unthinkingly, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, content that although she didn't respond she at least didn't push him away. He dropped his face to her hair and breathed in her scent. "You're _belle"_. He whispered, sincerely meaning what he said. He felt her swallow hard and pressed a kiss to her hairline, letting his lips trail to her ear. He wasn't teasing her, nor was he simply playing a role. His actions were genuine, and as he continued to whisper soothing sentiments in French to her, Marie began to understand that. She relaxed slowly in his arms.

"The Cure isn't permanent." She said more to herself than to him. He stilled momentarily and then resumed his carefully caresses to her face and hair, tightening his grip to her waist.

"I'll go back to being untouchable again. I-I'm not ready for that. I'm just not…" she trailed off as a few more tears slipped from her eyes. He turned her around swiftly to face him, bodies pressed close together. Her breath hitched as his hands came up gently to cup her face. He wiped her tears away wordlessly, allowing her to talk whenever she felt ready.

Marie was in love with the way he looked at her. Perhaps it meant nothing. Perhaps she was deluding herself. But she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he truly cared about her. The thought alone was enough to make her melt. But she quickly shook herself out of it. 'I've known him all of 2 weeks' she berated herself. 'I'm a fool for thinking he'd even be interested.'

She gave him a sad smile and attempted to extract herself from his arms, turning back to face the mirror. She slowly began reapplying her makeup, trying not to shiver as he stayed close to her with his hand rubbing soothing circles along her back. Every now and then he'd drop a kiss to her wrist, her arm, her fingers and her cheeks. She couldn't control her heartbeat or her blush.

Once she'd finished fixing herself she shyly lifted her face to finally meet his eyes. He smiled softly back at her.

"Ah was just looking at myself in the mirror…I really like this dress. And then I realized why I liked it so much." He raised an eyebrow at her. "it' show's off my skin, something I hadn't been able to do since I got the Cure. I like being this comfortable with myself. I like not having to worry about hurting anyone." She gave him a small smile before bending down to pick up her shoes. "I didn't mean to worry you. Sorry you had to see that."

He shook his head at her. "I'm sorry you don't have more time _ma chere."_ Then he quickly thought of something. "This mission…it's not hurting you is it? After all, we are here to basically put a stop to the production of _another_ Cure." He eyed her warily.

She gave him a short laugh. "No, I'm ok with this mission. After all, no need in giving any more mutants a false sense of security in shedding their mutation. Especially if it might end up being physically harmful to them." She gave a slight shrug. "It's a shame that there's no real Cure, but at the same time, why need a Cure for being who you are, y' know?"

He grinned brilliantly at her, surprising her as he pulled her into a tight hug. "You're something different, y' know that _ma belle?" _

She relaxed into his touch and brought her arms up around his torso to return the hug. "Thank ya" she said softly.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x

It really shouldn't have come as such a shock to her when she saw Mr. Worthington sitting at the bar with Mr. North and a couple of other smartly dressed men. After all, it was in _his_ lab facilities that the Cure had not only been made but had been administered. It was still weird to think that this man was Angel's dad…and after all his son had done for him he'd continued to pursue a "cure" for being a mutant. It got even weirder when he stood up to introduce himself to her. He was completely unaware of how he and his work had affected her.

Remy kept a close, comforting hand on her at all times. Whether it was simply for the marriage pretense or because of how she'd been earlier she wasn't sure, but she was very much grateful for it.

The light dinner and drinks was enjoyable enough. Mrs. North and several of her female companions kept her busy with mindless but pleasant chatter, as Remy joked jovially with the men and had a few drinks. He became the life of the party when he pulled out a deck of cards.

Elizabeth giggled conspiratorially to her and the other women. "Now isn't Marie here a lucky lady?" The rest of them nodded enthusiastically.

"Your husband is so handsome!"

"Where on _earth _ did you find him, my dear? And are there any more like them for my daughter?"

"So tell me", Gladys, a peroxide, buxom blonde in her mid thirties winked devilishly at her, "how is the sex?"

Marie almost choked on her drink while the other women laughed at her boldness. "Oh come one! We all want to know!" she continued. "The man looks like he's built for it. And it _is_ your honeymoon after all."

Taking her time finishing her drink she slowly responded, putting on a coy grin. "Well," they all turned to where Remy was showing off with a card trick. "let's just say he's got _excellent_ reflexes."

It was enough to keep them giggling for the rest of the night. But the lightheartedness took an abrupt turn about an hour later when one of the men-Gladys' husband Eric Schmidt- slammed his fist down on the bar. "But they've got to be controlled, dammit!"

Finally. They'd gotten around to talking about the Cure.

Unfortunately for her the other women took this as their cue to head up to bed. Elizabeth stood up and yawned, prancing over to her husband to give him a swift kiss on the cheek and declaring they were all turning in for the night. "You boys don't get to rowdy down here now" she laughed.

Sensing Rogue's frustration at having to leave, he pulled her aside, away from the other couples who were all exchanging good nights. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, pulling her steadily closer. "I'll tell you everything as soon as we get done." He smirked at her pitiful pout. "And if you're really that curious you know how to work the security cameras upstairs."

She was about to complain when Elizabeth called over to them. "Oh you two lovebirds, you'll see each other soon enough!" the rest of the company laughed good naturedly, some of them joking about their own memories of their honeymoons.

Remy turned back to Rogue, leaning in closer and whispering now. "Hopefully I'll be back before you fall asleep. If not, sleep well _ma Chere_." He continued rubbing soothing circles at her hip. She leaned in closer without thinking about it, lifting her head so he could kiss his cheek.

Unable to stop himself, he quickly turned his head, capturing her soft, full lips with his.

The minute his lips reached hers something shot off within her. She couldn't stop herself. His lips were soft, warm, applying gentle pressure against hers without forcing her into anything. He maneuvered them so that he was pressing her up against one of the hotel decorative columns, one hand clutching her waist and the other tangled in her hair. She smelled so sweet, she felt amazing pressed against the hard lines of his body. He didn't think he could get enough of her. She wasn't close enough.

She sighed into his touch, in the process opening her mouth to deepen the kiss. She felt his tongue gently touch hers and she let out a moan, allowing him more access. Her hands went up to wrap around his neck, fingers softly clutching the hairs at the nape of his neck. He gasped at the sensation. He'd never felt so satisfied by just kissing a woman. Marie- her very presence- seemed to fill him. He wanted more of her. He needed her.

The sound of chattering behind them slowly reminded him of where they were. Before losing all control of himself he slowly pulled away, nipping sweetly and softly her bottom lip before he withdrew completely. She made no move to leave his arms, simply resting her head on his shoulder and breathing heavily. He stroked her back, completely content to just stay like that with her but painfully aware of the fact that he had to return to his company. He kissed the top of her hair, smoothing the strands that should have been white back. "You should head back" he whispered soothingly, smiling softly at the fact that she was out of breath.

She raised her head to meet his eyes. He was stunned by the intense emotions he found within her brown orbs. He wanted to talk to her, see where they stood, but he was almost afraid to do so. He knew how easily she could reject him, how easy it would be for her to move on and find someone else. After this messy Cure affair was sorted out maybe she's forgive and go back to Iceboy. He was thankfully pulled out of that bitter though when when she captured his mouth again sweetly with hers, sighing into the contact before pulling back slightly and pressing kiss to his cheek. She gave him a shy smile as she walked back to the women and they headed upstairs.

He could still feel all of her warmth through his body as he watched her walk away. He was still reeling from the intense emotions he'd gathered from her just from that kiss. Never had he felt so intimate with a woman just kissing. He was itching to return to her, and groaned as Mr. Schmidt suddenly ground out "Now about those effing muties…"

**What do you think? Leave me a review! Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes too, ya'll….I posted this in a hurry :P **


	19. Kiss

**Disclaimer: (have I ever put one of these in this fic?) I own nothing. Really…I don't even have my own bank account. **

It was well past 2 in the morning when the men ended their heated discussion and decided to head to bed. Mr. Schmidt invited them all to a late brunch for the upcoming day so that they could continue their discussion.

Throughout the whole time they were talking together Remy held the perfect poker face, playing the role of a mutant-hater with skilled perfection. His ability to blend in made the men all the more comfortable and at liberty to say everything they wanted without fear of being judged or reproached. To Worthington, Schmidt and North it was just a typical day's conversation; Mutants were animals to be feared and this next batch of the Cure would be the grandest solution of all.

Remy sighed heavily behind the mirrored elevator doors on his way back to the room. He couldn't wait to download his recorded audio file to his laptop, send it to the mansion, and then fall into bed. That nice, big, comfy, warm bed. _Warm_. His spirits both soared and crashed simultaneously.

On one hand he couldn't wait to see Marie again. The minute she had left his grasp earlier that evening he had itched for her closeness again. On the other hand, what if what had happened tonight was just a mistake? He was the one, after all, who had initiated the kiss. And what if she had been feeling vulnerable (as she had before the dinner) and was simply craving touch? What if that kiss to her had just been another pleasuring touch experience, rather than a heart stopping, jarring moment as it had been for him?

He dared not call it love. But what he'd felt from that kiss went beyond anything he'd ever felt for any other woman, including his ex-wife.

Once he'd reached the room he unlocked the door swiftly and silently, unsure if she'd actually gone to sleep or not. He found one of the lamp lights already on, and Marie sound asleep spread across their bed. He glanced over to the desk area to see most of their secret equipment already set up; she'd obviously been in contact with the X-men while he was downstairs. Loping gracefully over to the desk he uploaded his audio file to the computer. While he waited he couldn't help but look at the sleeping woman on their bed.

She looked younger and more peaceful while she slept, a far cry from the wary and often contemplating looks she sported when they were around other people. Even when she was with him, in the few ties when he couldn't get her to relax, she looked guarded.

Unable to keep looking at her without touching, he found himself getting up abruptly (the file was done anyway and was sent automatically back to the mansion) and leaning over her, picking her up carefully and adjusting her so that she was in a more comfortable sleeping position under the covers. After a quick kiss to her soft cheek (it took all his willpower to not just kiss her senseless until she woke up) he headed toward the bathroom for a shower and a change.

It was as he was brushing his teeth that he heard her whimper from the room. He approached her slowly to see her peaceful, dreamy look of sleep replaced by a troubled and upset pout. And then a scowl. If her small kicking movements with her feet were any indication, he was sure they were about to have a repeat of last night's nightmare routine. Unwilling to let her continue being distressed, he crawled into the bed beside her, wrapping her tightly in his arms so that she wasn't able to cause herself any damage.

Bad move. His actions immediately seemed to trigger a different sort of nightmare in her mind, for she thrashed harder against him and he could feel a blood-curdling scream rising in her chest. He loosened his grip slightly, trying soothing noises instead. Did she really do this every night? Would it be smart to wake up Logan?

He continued whispering to her in calming French, the words a combination of cooing nonsense and smooth, gentle sentiments. After a few more minutes of struggling with each other he saw her eyes open, a look of panic and fear very evident on her face.

It seemed to take her a minute to recognize him. "Remy?"

He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "_Oui?" _

She seemed at a loss after that, but he recognized the look of shame and horror that was quickly clouding her features and he felt with his empathy his rising mortification. He refused to let her feel embarrassed and pulled her tight against his chest, continuing whispering into her soft, tangled hair.

He felt her heartbeat slowly begin to settle as she relaxed even more into him. Both of their breathing evened out, and she even wrapped an arm (one that wasn't protectively curled into her chest) around his torso. As they drifted off to sleep, he heard her mutter a breathy "thank you" into the bare skin of his neck, where she also pressed the lightest, gentlest of kisses.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

The minute she woke up the next morning she remember what had happened the night before and let out a small groan of frustration. Those nightmares were really starting to take their toll on her. She'd had more in the last 2 weeks than she had in the total amount of time since she'd first absorbed Logan. She chalked it up to maybe being one of the many "symptoms" of her returning powers.

She found getting out of bed to be quit a struggle, and not simply because she was tired. She was tangled in every way around her Cajun companion. He was holding her tightly around her waist, and their legs were tangled together. Besides the physical sense, she couldn't bring herself to move away from the man that had comforted her so willingly last night. She didn't get as far into the Logan Nightmare as she usually did, and she knew it was because he'd tried to wake her out of her fretful sleep before she got too upset. She very much appreciated it. Not just because Logan's lab nightmares were traumatizing, but because she had this awful habit of hurting herself in her sleep. The last thing she needed was any more scratches and bruises.

Remy was still sleeping peacefully beside her. He wasn't a snorer, but his breathing was deep and rhythmic. She found the rise and fall of his muscled chest to be oddly comforting. She couldn't help but run her eyes over his features. Broad shoulders and muscled arms—his physique was that of a predatory animal; his muscles were not showy and large, but purposeful and lean but very firm. His rich auburn hair over his eyes gave him a boyish look while he slept, but his chiseled, handsome face gave away his maturity in both age and life experience. And his lips…

She certainly hadn't forgotten their kiss the night before. In fact, the minute she'd gone back to her room she'd taken to pacing back and forth, wondering where the two of them stood. His lips had been so soft…she'd craved more of his touch the minute their lips left. But beyond the obvious physical pleasure, she'd gotten _emotional _pleasure out of it. Sometime between their first meeting in New Orleans to last night she'd developed feelings for Remy. It's not like she knew _a lot_ about the man, but she certainly knew enough to develop a bit of a crush for him.

A crush.

That word sounded so immature when she thought about it, but she didn't know how else to describe the feeling she got when she was around him. But she highly doubted it was the same for him.

She'd heard the whispers around the mansion when she'd been there; Remy had no shortage of female friends. From what little gossip she heard she'd gathered that he'd had _plenty_ of relationships, and most of them were casual, meaningless. And heck, he'd even been _married_ before. She was on an entirely different level of experience when it came to relationships. Sure, Bobby had been her boyfriend for quite a long period of time…except they couldn't actually touch and once she'd taken the Cure he'd seemed to have lost interest. Then there was her stay in New Orleans, but she'd hardly call any of the dates she went on memorable. And they never ended in anything remotely romantic. She sighed heavily. She was definitely out of her league here.

But she had no idea how to approach what had happened last night. It wasn't like they could just not speak…they were on a private mission together. And at some point he would need to fully debrief her on what had happened after she had left him with the mutant hating men. Another sigh.

She felt Remy stir next to her and she stiffened immediately. It took him a few seconds to become fully awake, but once he was alert enough he looked over to Rogue. The smile that spread across his features was genuine and heart stopping. He didn't release his grip on her either. Rather, he drummed his fingers across her lower back.

"_Bon matin, chere." _His voice was still thick and slightly hoarse from sleep. She loved the sound.

Unsure of what to say, she gave him a quick smile and a muttered "morning."

He frowned slightly at her, and she prepared herself for him to move away from her. He did no such thing.

"Why so tense?" his drumming fingers became slow strokes all along her back, sending shivers down her spine.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but his fingers were distracting her from saying anything coherent.

"Look, Rogue. If it's about last night you have nothing to be embarrassed about."

Reluctant to have this conversation just yet, Rogue blushed. "yeah I kinda do, I mean-"

"Non!" he exclaimed before she could finish, pulling her flush against him so that their faces were only inches apart now. He lowered his voice to a comforting (and enticing) whisper. "You don't. And I'm sorry if my actions only made things worse for you."

Now that she thought about it, him slipping his tongue in her mouth to deepen their contact had thrown her for quite a loop. "Well ok, maybe not embarrassed, but it did kinda confuse me a bit." She bit her lip and stared pleadingly at him, waiting for his response.

He ran his finger through her hair, massaging her scalp as he pressed a kiss to her hairline. "_Desole_, wasn't sure if Logan or anyone else typically tried that. But I didn't wan' you to hurt y'self."

"It's just-wait. What?"

"And I couldn' stand to see ya look so upset. Those must be some nightmares." he moved his caresses from her hair to her shoulder blades.

"Wait. Remy, you're talking about my nightmare episode last night?" she shoved back a few inches from him (really, his hands were going to get her in trouble) so that she could look him squarely in the face.

He blinked and raised an eyebrow. "_Oui, _what were _you_ talking abou-oh." His voice dropped even lower and his red on black eyes became clouded with an emotion she couldn't place.

The knock at the door gave her a reason to spring out of bed and hide her growing blush. It was their breakfast again, and the same boy as the day before gave her a longing glance before setting up their meal and leaving.

Remy watched her jittery movements as she picked up a croissant and nibbled away at it, determined to not look toward him. He grinned to himself. It relieved him to no end that she wasn't angry or even upset about their kiss last night. If her nervous manner and her blush was any indication (and it was), she'd actually enjoyed it, perhaps even entertained feelings for him. But determined not to make her uncomfortable, he rolled slowly out of bed and headed toward the computer table so he could play a part of the conversation he'd been a part of to her. They hadn't received word from the Mansion just yet, so they'd have to wait around for contact before they continued anything.

A few minutes into the audio she moved closer to him, interested in what she was hearing. "I can't believe Worthington still believes all this crap even after his own mutant son saved his life."

"it's a sad world, _ma petite._ But he wasn't even the worst of 'em. That Schmidt _imbecile _almost made me blow my cover wit' all the crap he was saying." He scowled as he remembered all of the awful things the man had said about the mutant populations.

Remy fast forwarded the clip to the part where they were discussing when and where they wanted to release the new Cure.

"Next Friday? But that's so soon!" Rogue's eyes widened.

Remy could only nod. Rogue, wrapped up in her thoughts, didn't notice when Remy walked closer to her and took her hand. "_chere, _we'll stop them. Don't ya worry 'bout it."

Rogue gave him a small smile. "I just don't think it's right to give any more mutants false hope."

"Yeah, and the whole injecting human beings with a toxic, potentially deadly fake-Cure is kinda wrong too."

She couldn't help but laugh. "yeah, only kinda."

His playful look became somewhat more serious. "Marie. Last night…if you want to just forget about it, I'll respect that." It pained him to even think about ignoring the matter, but he knew it was the right thing to do to give her an out.

She looked up at him and the sadness in her eyes surprised him. "Do yah want to, Remy? Do you want to just forget about it?" She couldn't blame him if he did. Remy had travelled the world, been with so many women, most of which she imagined were probably more beautiful and more experienced than her. It wouldn't have made sense for him to have any sort of feelings toward her, even if they weren't serious. But his next word surprised her.

"_Non._" His lips were already moving of their own accord towards her, but she was the one to close the gap. Their lips connected soundly and they relaxed into each other. His hands cradled her face softly, and her own hands rested against his solid chest. She moved her lips softly with his, letting him take control of the kiss. It was an innocent one, not as heated as the one the night before. It was more cautious…but just as heartfelt.

His tongue swept across her bottom lip, sending a jolt through her entire body. Without thinking, she tilted her head and parted her lips slightly to give him better access, her breath hitching as he slowly explored her mouth. He groaned softly as Rogue's hands tangled in his hair, twisting the hairs at the nape of his neck and driving him crazy.

The ringing of Rogue's cell phone sadly brought them back to earth. Rogue ended their kiss and gave him a shy smile. Returning her smile, Remy pressing another one to the corner of her mouth before letting her go answer her phone.

_Mon Dieu_, he thought to himself as Rogue began a rapid conversation with Logan. He still couldn't figure out what it was that drew him to her, but he wasn't going to fight it. As long as she was just as interested (and even if she wasn't), he was determined to know more about her, spend more time with her, and for heaven's sake spend more time kissing those delicious lips of hers.

**I'm still at it! Review por favor **** They're my greatest motivation!**


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